A Priori
by Moonshayde
Summary: Friends become foes. The SGC falls into mistrust. SG1 will need to relearn to trust each other to join their allies against a new devasting threat by the Ori. Season 9 includes Jack. Spoilers SG1 and SGA. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Priori

Author: Moonshayde

Season: Nine

Category: Drama, Angst, A/A

Spoilers: All seasons including Season Nine. Takes place before Crusade.

Pairing/Character: Team (Season 9 but includes classic team)

Summary: As Doomsday talk increases across the galaxy, the SGC must band together with the Tok'ra, the Jaffa, the Asgard and other allies to stop a new threat from the Ori, while battling mistrust and treason within their own organization.

Warnings: minor language, violence

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Thanks to Shadowolf, Meg and Misty for their help.

_Disclaimer: Stargate, Stargate SG-1 and all of its characters, titles, names, and back-story are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions, SciFi Channel, and Showtime/Viacom. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be printed anywhere without the sole permission of the author. Realize this is for entertainment purposes only; no financial gain or profit has been gained from this fiction. This story is not meant to be an infringement on the rights of the above-mentioned establishments_

* * *

Chapter 1

"Do you know where I could locate this boy?"

"Jonathan O'Neill?"

Jack froze at the mention of his name. The conversation was coming from just inside the principal's office, but the bustle of students walking down the corridor drowned out the rest of the conversation. Carefully, he tiptoed toward the door, pressing himself close to the lockers so that he could hear what they were saying and maybe sneak a peek inside.

A tall, thin man, dressed in black, stood before the principal. A small photo remained in his hand as he extended it to Principal Patterson. Her gaze lingered on the picture before she shifted her gaze upward to meet the looming giant.

"If you're not a legal guardian, then I will not have this conversation with you."

The man in black was unperturbed. "This is a matter of national security."

Jack fought the urge to laugh at the man. National security his ass. Tall, mysterious looking men that could have walked straight out of one of those MIB movies Teal'c was so sweet on were not a good sign. If there were matters of national security, they wouldn't bother with him. And they wouldn't send Secret Service rejects.

No, Jack felt this did not bode well for him.

"National security?" Patterson asked. "You must be joking."

"No, ma'am." He slid the picture into his jacket pocket. "I'll be honest with you. Earlier this morning, we received an anonymous tip that this student, Jonathan O'Neill, has not only been plotting an act of terror on your school, but also has been working with a group of known terror suspects on the FBI watch list. We need to find him and bring him in for questioning before he can carry out anything that can endanger lives."

Jack blinked. There was no way he had heard that right. There was no way any of this was happening.

"Oh my God," he heard Patterson say. "I-I can't believe that. You must have the wrong information. He's such a good student."

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. We need to bring him in."

Jack turned and walked away from the office, easily forgetting the batch of paperwork he was supposed to give Principal Patterson. Suddenly, a bunch of test papers weren't all that important. Jack flung his backpack over his shoulder and started to head towards the exit.

As he made his way through the halls, he kept looking over his shoulder, glancing from side to side, just to make sure. Quietly, he withdrew his cell phone and started to dial the first number that came to mind.

No one there.

He dialed another and another.

No one there.

Of course not.

Jack cursed under his breath and put the cell phone away. The exit to the school was just ahead of him, so if he could just get past the stairs he could…

He slowed when he saw another black suited man standing in front of the doorway. Damn.

Bowing his head, Jack turned to his left and set his pace to a brisk walk. He allowed himself to blend in with the other students, all the while remaining alert for any suspicious activity. Luckily, the stiff stopped by just as school was letting out.

Jack slipped in between two geeky freshmen and darted into the bathroom. He knew that he could have headed for the gym instead, but these guys didn't look like fools. He wasn't going to chance any kind of confrontation, especially in a situation where he was at a complete disadvantage. No, he needed to get out of here and then think of a plan.

Jack eyed the bathroom carefully. No one was at the urinals, but he had to check the stalls just in case. One by one he examined them, finally feeling secure in the fact he was alone. When he was sure no one had followed him, his gaze jumped between the sink and the window.

He could make it.

First, Jack tossed his bag upward so that it fell onto the windowsill. Next, he climbed onto the sink and started to stand, praying that the weight of his body wouldn't snap the fixture right out of the wall.

Luckily, it didn't.

After taking a deep breath, Jack jumped off the sink and grabbed hold of the ledge, trying to get a foothold onto the wall as he pulled his body upward. He cringed at the sound of his sneakers scraping against the drywall, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. With a final heave, he lifted himself halfway onto the ledge and poked his head out the window.

Being on the first floor was perfect.

Jack tossed his bag onto the lawn and then shoved his arms through and over the window, grabbing onto the outside of the panel for support. He squeezed through the narrow opening and stood on the outside ledge. He was up a good way, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. With one last grunt, Jack jumped out of the window and landed on the grass with a thud.

He wasted no time. Grabbing his bag, Jack sprinted across the lawn of the school and made a break for his car. He didn't even stop to see if anyone was behind him or if his fellow students were giving him odd looks. He was getting out of here.

Jack spotted his beat up sedan – it wasn't anything like his truck but he wasn't going to dwell on that now – when he noticed there was one of those men standing beside it.

_Crap_, he thought, stopping in the middle of the lawn. Whoever these guys were, they were everywhere.

Jack turned to his right and started walking casually, hoping not to bring any attention to himself. There had to be another alternative. There had to be some way he could buy himself some time.

And then, as if the Asgard had heard his pleas, Jack spotted a city bus. He wasn't going to take his chances on the school bus. Besides, he didn't want to put all those kids at risk. But he could jump on the city bus and then book it out of there. One stop, maybe two, and he could find a nice public place where he could blend into the crowd.

Jack went for the bus.

He jogged up the steps, gave the driver his money and settled into a seat. A quick check of the bus didn't reveal anyone that might pose a problem for him, but then again, who knew if these people had agents undercover.

What the hell? He was getting paranoid now?

Why shouldn't he, he tried to tell himself. There were people out there that we accusing him of terrorism and all those years in the military had honed his senses enough that he could smell a stinky plot a mile away.

Jack took another survey of the bus before he glanced out the window. He stiffened.

The guy by his car was gone.

_Go_, he silently told the bus driver. _Go now, you damn slowpoke._

Jack watched as the doors to the bus closed, and the driver started to pull the bus from the curb. Jack sighed with relief, sinking into his seat, not even realizing he was clutching his backpack.

He'd gotten his wish. A short reprieve so he could consider how to proceed.

He jumped as he heard a knocking at the side of his window.

Jack looked on with amazement as the agent ran after the bus, hammering on the side while he shouted angrily at Jack. He was making frantic waves at the driver, urging him to slow or stop. For whatever reason, Jack was lucky in that the driver didn't notice or was deaf and continued to speed up as they drove away from the bus stop. The man began to vanish from view.

But that did nothing to ease Jack's sense of dread. When he glanced back to the rear window of the bus, he could distinctly see the shape of a sleek sedan behind them.

He knew enough to realize he was being followed. And he knew enough that to go to his apartment or any of his regular hangouts would be a bad idea.

Whoever these men were, they meant business. They were out for him and they weren't going to stop until they found him. It was only a matter of time now.

Jack snatched the cell phone from his bag before he slipped it over his shoulder. He flipped it open and started to dial and prepared himself to run like he'd never run before as he readied himself for the next stop.

* * *

"So, are the people of PJ7-261 willing to negotiate?" 

Daniel nodded at General Landry's question and tapped his pen on his briefing report. "The Zhiang are more than willing to allow us access to some of their naquadah mines as long as we can provide some kind of assistance in the event their world falls into disarray." He took a deep breath. "They were visited by a Prior last week."

Landry looked irate. "So, they've managed to get into some of Yu's old territories, too."

"Seems like any place that the other Goa'uld haven't snatched up is fair game," Mitchell said.

"The people of PJ7-261 are highly intelligent people, sir. They may have been under the dominion of Yu, but the Goa'uld did allow them some limited development in the arts and education," Sam said. "While they didn't mind serving Yu, they aren't willing to allow another being or group of people to interfere with their lifestyle. They are prepared to do what it takes to defend themselves."

"Which could be either advantageous or to our disadvantage," Landry reminded them.

"Indeed. However, many within the Zhiang have strong ties with the Jaffa," Teal'c told him. "I do believe that we can convince them that allying with both the Tau'ri and the Jaffa will be to their advantage."

Landry nodded. "Good, let's—"

The five of them paused as a soft knocking interrupted the briefing. Daniel leaned back to see a nervous and slightly befuddled Walter Harriman hesitating at the door.

He was staring straight at him.

"What is it, Walter?" General Landry asked.

"Um, sorry for interrupting, sir, but I—" He cleared his throat and continued to stare at Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I have your son on the line for you."

Daniel blinked, suddenly feeling like a kid who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. When he turned with surprise to the rest of his team, he could see that Sam was staring at him in complete shock, Teal'c looked amused, surprised, or satisfied – the last of which made him nervous – while Mitchell looked downright awestruck.

Landry wasn't amused at all. "Doctor Jackson?" he asked, his voice low.

Daniel never felt so small in all his life. This felt worse than those times he'd been at lectures or consortiums and had been booed and jeered off the stage. Descending or materializing into Jack's office in his birthday suit had been more comfortable than this.

He refused to look any of them in the eye. Slowly, he shifted in his seat, feeling both hot and cold, and kept his gaze centered on Walter.

"There must be a mistake," he told Walter.

"That's what I said. But he's insistent."

Daniel sat there, mouth open. He had no idea what to say. But apparently, Colonel Mitchell did.

"Dang," he said, his voice sounding like it would break. "You get around."

Daniel did not hold back on the glare he sent to the new leader of SG-1. Naturally, there was a reasonable explanation of all of this. "Okay, I-uh. I better go get that." He jumped to his feet and rushed out the door before he could feel any more embarrassed than he already was.

Walter showed Daniel to the line that his so-called son had called him on and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" he asked.

"Two words: Cell phone."

Daniel frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You're a hard man to reach, you know that?"

By now, Daniel was running out of patience. He adjusted his glasses and scowled at the phone, even though he knew the boy on the line couldn't see it. Maybe it was for the benefit of the audience he'd seemed to have attracted. "Who is this?" he asked in his most irritated tone.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud…It's _me,_ Daniel."

Daniel almost choked on the air. "Jack?"

"Yeah, look. Let's skip the pleasantries. I know we're not really supposed to cross paths and all, but I need your help."

There was fear and anger in Jack's voice. Jack didn't get spooked very easily and when he did, he got testy. "Jack, what's going on?"

When Daniel realized that everyone was staring at him, he mouthed "clone" which seemed to ease Sam and Teal'c right away. Mitchell still looked awestruck.

"I was at school and these guys dressed in suits came in demanding to take me in for questioning. They made up some bogus story that I was in league with terrorists and I was going to blow the school." Static interrupted the line before Jack's voice broke through again. "I'm still under the military watchdog from the Air Force. Even if I wanted to get into trouble, I can't. Daniel, I'm no damn terrorist."

Daniel couldn't even begin to believe what he was hearing. Jack was right, of course. The Air Force kept close watch on everything he did. He might be Jack but he wasn't _really _Jack – in most people's eyes. And terrorism? That was the most ridiculous thing Daniel had ever heard.

"Where are you?" he asked, signaling to Sam that this was important. She understood right away and started to whisper something to Landry.

"I just got off a city bus and I'm at The Citadel Mall. Daniel, they followed me here. I'm going to hang around some of the larger department stores and see if I can keep a low profile, but all they have to do is put out an alert…"

Daniel understood. "We're on our way. Meet us on the east side, over on Academy Boulevard. Try to stay out of sight."

"Roger that." He hung up the phone.

Daniel handed the receiver back to Walter and turned to SG-1 and General Landry. "Someone is after Jack's clone. It sounds serious." He focused solely on Landry. "Permission to—"

"Go," Landry said. "I want you to split up and monitor both sides of the complex." He started to move towards his office. "I don't take anything to do with the SGC lightly. Check back in as soon as you find something. I'm going to get on the phone with the Pentagon."

Daniel nodded, grateful for Landry's approval. He jogged to catch up with Sam, Teal'c, and Mitchell, hoping that Jack could hold off his pursuers until they arrived.

* * *

Jack threw the oversized sweatshirt onto the counter along with a decent baseball cap he'd found. As the cashier started to ring him out, he dug into his pockets and withdrew his wallet. 

He knew that his "disguise" was nothing more than a quick way to hide himself. If these guys were rogue NID agents or whatever they were calling themselves these days, then his stay at The Citadel wouldn't last very long. Still, any time he could buy for himself until Daniel showed up worked for him.

Jack flashed the young cashier his best smile, grabbed his bag, and made his way to the exit. Once he was out of the store, he grabbed the sweatshirt out of the bag and quickly allowed it to envelop him before slapping the cap on his head. Now all he had to do was blend into the crowd and work his way over to the east entrance and wait.

He kept his head down, but remained alert regarding his surroundings. The mall was fairly busy for a Thursday afternoon, but that didn't give him the excuse to slack. For all he knew, some of these guys could be in street clothes.

He couldn't help but wonder: what the heck did they want from him? The Air Force kept him on a tight leash – all his experience and the classified information he held had to be kept under surveillance somehow. But in the end, aside from living a life he didn't want, he was just a clone. The other him had better intel to give, why not go after him?

Because he had all the flash and importance of working in the Air Force, Jack thought bitterly.

So, was Jack just an easy hit? Info up for grabs in a pint-sized package? If so, why hadn't they tried this before now?

Jack shook off the questions and decided to leave them for Daniel and Carter. They loved the detective bit.

Jack walked down the aisle and turned, catching the exit in sight. He wasn't surprised at all to see two men in black suits pacing near the entrance/exit while another one was casually standing around the telephones. He didn't think this would be easy, but this didn't bode well for him either.

That's when he saw her. What a sight for sore eyes. Carter had entered the building, pausing just past the doors as she searched the mall. He could tell she'd left the SGC in a hurry; her BDU's poked out from under a long black trench coat. And while Jack thought Carter had a tendency to stick out in a crowd on a good day, he was positive she was certainly going to draw more than enough attention today.

Dammit.

There was no way he and Carter were just going to be able to waltz out the front door. He'd have to try something else. Jack grabbed his phone and started ramming his fingers onto the pad.

* * *

Daniel released his vice grip on the steering wheel and snatched his phone. "They know," read the text message. 

That didn't make Daniel feel any better. Why on Earth someone wanted to monitor Jack's calls was beyond him. What anyone thought they could accomplish by stalking Jack was way beyond him, too. Then again, Thor always—

Daniel jerked when he heard his phone ring. Sam. He pressed it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Are you sure he said it was the east entrance? I don't see any sign of him."

"Yeah…um. Change of plans," Daniel said as he watched the entrance carefully. "He's going to the west entrance."

"West entrance?" she asked. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Mitchell and Teal'c are going to head him off over there. We're going to join them in a few minutes." He said the last few words slower and more deliberately, hoping Sam would pick up on his meaning. They'd known each other long enough that she should be able to pick up on his blatant lie and stall tactic. Daniel didn't have a clue if they were monitoring their conversation, but he wasn't going to take the chance. Besides, he figured speaking in Goa'uld would have been too obvious.

"All right. I'll start heading over to the west entrance. Carter out."

Daniel hoped she was kidding.

When he was certain there was no additional activity going on by the entrance, Daniel started to dial Mitchell. They needed to be on the same page for this to work.

"This is Mitchell."

"Hey, it's Daniel." He bent low and peeked out the window to get a better view of the mall. People came and went like any normal day. "Where are you?"

"Teal'c and I are circling one of the parking lots. This place is jammin' today. I wonder what's going on?"

Daniel shook his head. "Just see if you can get over to the west entrance."

"West entrance? I thought he was coming out down your way?" Mitchell asked.

"Yeah…I thought so, too," Daniel said slowly. "Look, I'm not actually sure that we aren't being monitored here, so—"

"I gotcha."

"Yeah, so just—" Daniel paused, watching as a shadow cast over himself and the driver's seat of his truck. He started to move when he heard a low voice tell him to stop.

"Terminate the call and put your hands where I can see them. No tricks, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel pursed his lips, trying to keep his anger in check. He nodded once to let the man know he'd heard him before he returned his attention to Mitchell.

"Jackson?"

"Look, uh, I'm going to have to call you back." He shut the phone and placed it on the seat. "Okay, now what?"

"Step out of the car and face the door."

Daniel sighed and raised his arms a little higher. From the corner of his eye, he caught the silhouette of an average sized man with an average build standing outside his truck with what he just knew was a gun. The man opened the door and Daniel climbed out. Immediately, he was pushed onto the side of the cab.

"You sure you really want to do this?" Daniel asked his assailant. "I mean, you are committing quite a few crimes in a very public space."

"I can easily put you back in your truck and shoot you," the man told him. "You shouldn't get involved in other people's business."

"And what business would that be, exactly?" Daniel asked with a smile.

He felt the tip of the silencer jab him in the small of his back. "Nothing that you're going to be around to remember."

"So, what? You're going to kill me?"

"You're much too valuable for me to shoot, I'm afraid." Daniel heard a shuffling and when he tilted his head he caught an…uh-oh. Needles. "But the less you know, the better for me."

Crap. Where was help when he needed it?

* * *

Sam pocketed her phone and started walking away from the east entrance. The mall was packed today; she'd learned that the Air Force Academy was holding some kind of exhibit that was drawing a rather large turnout. She noticed that the crowds were mainly tour groups or after school clubs from the various high schools in Colorado Springs. She wasn't going to blend in well at all. 

But neither were O'Neill's trackers.

She caught one on her six and she knew that two more had been watching her by the entrance. There could be more scouting the area in street clothes. Whatever trouble O'Neill's clone had gotten into, it seemed to be serious.

Sam stopped and bent over to tie one of her boots while she kept alert of any suspicious activity. She noticed that two of the men that had been guarding the entrance had left and passed her, possibly moving to the west entrance. There was one other that she could see – the one that was keeping tabs on her.

O'Neill's clone would not make an appearance if he thought he was being monitored. Any cell phone activity would be in question and could be used to pinpoint him. She figured he must have moved from store to store to try to keep them off his back.

But he wouldn't stray too far if he truly had no intention of making a break for the west entrance.

Sam hovered by a boutique for a little longer, pretending to tie the other boot. When she saw a crowd of tourists, she decided to take her chance. She casually walked over to meet them and slipped between members of the crowd, knowing that her pursuer would be keeping tabs on all her actions. After a few seconds of zigzagging and annoying the tourists, she looped around, slipping into one of the stores before darting out again, and walked towards the east entrance.

When she glanced back, she didn't catch any sign that he was right behind her. What she did see was a teenager in a hooded sweatshirt hanging at the rear of a group of teenage kids. He was watching her every move.

Sam picked up her pace as she moved toward the exit and motioned with her hand at the kid. The teen picked up on the hand gesture immediately and started to head in her direction.

"Jack O'Neill?" she asked, trying to sneak a peek under the baseball cap he was wearing.

"The not so one and only," he muttered in return.

She forced a smile. Yup, definitely the right kid.

Sam snagged his arm and drew him closer, making sure he remained right by her side as they braced themselves for the main exit on the east side. So far, she didn't catch any of the suits waiting for them by the doors, but that didn't mean anything. There could be several of them waiting outside or waiting here in the mall undetected.

"What did you do that would cause all of this?" she asked him. It seemed incredible that O'Neill's clone could be this much of a problem.

"Jaywalking?"

She glared at him.

O'Neill's clone sighed. "Believe me, Carter, I would love to know myself. But I'm guessing the simple act of breathing might be enough of an offense for these guys."

She hated to think that he was probably right. "Daniel has his truck parked right out front. As soon as we're close enough, make a break for it and get inside."

"Where are we going? The SGC?" His voice sounded a little too hopeful.

Sam paused, looked to her right and left before she nudged him forward through the doors. "Yes," she answered simply. They picked up the pace as they left the mall and headed toward some of the cars parked in front. She felt a shiver up her spine as the familiar feeling of being followed crept over her.

"They're on our six," O'Neill's clone muttered, stealing a quick glance over his shoulder.

"I know. We're almost there." She could see Daniel's truck from here.

She frowned, noting that there seemed to be a few people standing outside the truck, one of which looked liked Daniel. She couldn't make out the rest from where they were.

_Oh boy_, she thought. This wasn't good.

She knew the clone beside her was thinking the same thing. They broke into a run toward the truck.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Doctor Jackson. But you really shouldn't have gotten involved." 

Daniel felt the pressure of the gun start to dissipate, but that allowed for the man to grab his wrists and bring them behind his back. Daniel stalled by struggling and fidgeting, but his strength had never been in hand-to-hand combat. With a twist here and there, Daniel's hands were bound. He sighed. Why always him?

He considered ramming his shoulder back into the man, but he wasn't sure how far that would take him. As it was, Daniel could only see vague glimpses of what the man was doing over there. Daniel wasn't keen on ramming into the gun or a needle.

"Just stay calm and you won't get hurt."

"Stay calm?" Daniel managed to tilt his head a little more. "You're threatening to jab me with needles."

"It'll put you out of commission for a while, but it's nothing serious."

Somehow, Daniel didn't really believe him.

"You know how to handle that, right?" Daniel asked. "Because if I am as valuable as you say, then you wouldn't want to screw up. Your boss – what the Trust? Business conglomerates?

"Nice try, Doctor Jackson. Now, just hold still."

"No, wait! Let's-let's talk about this. Maybe we can —"

Daniel winced, feeling a sudden sharp jab to his back before he heard a soft thud behind him. After pausing for a beat, Daniel turned his head, surprised to find his assailant out cold on the pavement.

Daniel shot his head up to the man standing beside him.

"It appears you are in need of my assistance," Teal'c said with a smile.

"Teal'c." Daniel couldn't even voice his relief. "You have great timing." Or, at least Daniel hoped so. He squirmed, dangling his fingers to try to reach where he'd felt the pain. "Teal'c, do you see —?"

Teal'c ripped through the plastic cuffs. "You appear to be fine."

Daniel nodded, rubbing his wrists as he gazed down at the man. He didn't look so ominous lying there unconscious on the ground. But there was no mistaking the fact he had a weapon concealed somewhere under his jacket and no one could miss the kit full of vials and needles that had fallen beside him.

That had been too close for Daniel's liking. He frowned as he rubbed his back thoughtfully.

"Daniel!"

Daniel turned to see Sam and some kid running towards them. Sam quickly opened one of the doors to the truck and shoved the teenager – presumably Jack – inside. She then darted around the truck and came to meet them.

One glance at the man and his paraphernalia on the ground told Sam enough.

"Are you all right?" she asked him.

She immediately tore Daniel's hands away from his back and lifted his shirt and jacket to check him. He stiffened as he felt the cold tips of her fingers touch his skin.

"Sam, I'm all right. I think his elbow hit my back right before Teal'c took him."

"I don't see any puncture or breakage," she said with a nod. She motioned with the nudge of her chin to the man on the ground. "I want to bring him in for questioning and get those vials sent to a lab for analysis."

"I will keep him under guard," Teal'c said.

Sam nodded. "Good. You and Mitchell head back to the SGC and secure him. We'll be right behind you."

Jack's head poked out of the window. "What happened?"

"Looks like we got ourselves a prisoner," Daniel said.

"Nice." He looked down at the man before he gazed over at Teal'c. "Good job."

Teal'c dipped his head. "Thank you, O'Neill."

"We'd better get moving," Sam said. "There are more of them inside the mall and I would guess scouting this entire area."

"Won't argue with that." Daniel rubbed his back again as he glared at his attacker. "How did you know?" he asked Teal'c.

"Colonel Mitchell became quite concerned when you refused to speak with him. We then proceeded to your position to see if you were in any danger."

Daniel nodded, still relieved that Teal'c had intervened in time, though he wasn't sure whether to take Mitchell's statement as a compliment or an insult. Daniel didn't talk that much, did he?

"Who's Mitchell?" Jack asked.

No one bothered to answer him for the moment. Daniel slipped back into the driver's seat while Sam swung around to the passenger side. Teal'c quickly bound the unconscious man and started to drag him away from Daniel's truck. Jack hovered between Sam and Daniel.

"Hey, I asked you a question."

"Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell," Sam answered, locking the door and peering outside past the mall.

There was a honking and Daniel poked his head outside the window. Mitchell waved to him.

Daniel sighed. "Does he know the meaning of the word 'covert?'"

Sam chuckled and glanced over to Jack. "He's a member of SG-1. In fact, he's one of the pilots you helped train to fly the F-302's." She smiled at him. "He's nice."

"He's a bit excitable," Daniel added. "But his heart's in the right place."

"Ah," Jack said, leaning back. Daniel didn't think he was all too impressed. Not because Jack had a dislike for Mitchell, but just because this was Jack. Daniel knew exactly where this conversation was heading. "You should have recruited me," he told them. "I've got all the skills, great new body…and I'm the sharpest I've ever been."

"And you're oh…what?" Daniel asked. "Seventeen?"

"Hey, I might look seventeen, but I've got the mind of a seasoned general." Both Sam and Daniel turned to stare at him. "What?" he asked. "I called me to tell me."

"As much as I would love to hear you try to bargain with your skills, I think we should get moving," Sam said. "Daniel?"

He had already started up the truck and had been waiting for Mitchell to pull out from behind him. When he saw that he was clear, Daniel pulled away and started for the street. Luckily, the SGC was not all that far from The Citadell Mall. He figured they should be able to make it back without further incident.

But when Daniel glanced in his rear view mirror, he knew that getting out of here scott free was more of a dream than a reality. "Sam?" he asked.

"I see them." She kept checking her side mirror. "See if you can lose them."

"They're insane if they think they can follow us all the way to the SGC," Jack said. He paused. "Wait, lose them?"

Daniel hit the gas and gunned it away from the mall, taking a sharp left onto the next street. Though he was careful for any pedestrians or animals in the area, he wasn't afraid to weave in and out of stopped traffic and hit the curb if needed.

"Whoa!" Jack yelled, grabbing onto the seat. "Let me drive! I had a truck just like this once. I can handle…wait, this _is_ my truck."

Sam was unperturbed by the whole thing. Maybe even a little amused. "Daniel bought it off General O'Neill when he moved to Washington D.C."

Daniel maneuvered again, nearly nicking a mailbox in the process. "I got a good deal on it."

Daniel saw Jack wince at the near miss and clutch the seat harder. "The bastard couldn't have even given it to me?" Jack cursed something unintelligible under his breath. "Have you even seen the piece of junk I've been driving?"

"Always one to screw yourself, huh, Jack?"

"Ha. That's funny. You're a regular comedian, Daniel."

Daniel had to smile despite himself. Though, after spending so much time with Jack O'Neill, what did Jack expect?

Daniel took a sharp left and then swerved to the right, decided to go down a side street than to stay on the main roads. Here, he found he could pick up a little speed. Daniel pressed his foot on the gas and barreled down the street, keeping his eyes on the road while Sam kept checking their rear.

"They're still with us," she said.

Daniel took another sharp left, the tires squealing in the process. He licked his lips as he focused before wiping his brow with the back of his hand. They passed by some homes, a few small businesses, and a fairly nice neighborhood. He made sure to slow when he saw some kids playing by the side of the street. Once he passed them, he hit the gas and took a right and then a left.

"Daniel, I swear if you get one scratch on my truck…"

"My truck."

Daniel was back on one of the main roads, preparing to head for the SGC. He heard Sam's cell phone and he figured it had to be Landry checking on them. He wasn't entirely sure they should be talking to anyone until they were back at the SGC but based on Sam's expression, it seemed pretty important. She plugged her ear with her finger and turned away – essentially blocking out both he and Jack – so that she could hear the conversation.

Daniel just tuned it all out and kept driving. He inhaled sharply as he sped up and went through a red light. He knew he'd hear about it. Jack was the worst backseat driver imaginable, when he wanted to be.

Daniel just ignored him.

By now, it didn't matter if they were being followed or not. They were close enough to the SGC that soon the sedan would have no choice but to stop or be taken by the military. Daniel wasn't really sure why they bothered at this point.

"Cassie, wait. Slow down. I didn't hear you."

Daniel stiffened over the mention of Cassie and wondered what the problem could be. Cassie rarely called them now that she was at college. Though, he thought he remembered Sam telling them something about Cassie coming home for spring break.

"Something wrong?" Daniel asked.

Sam held up a finger and pressed the phone closer to her ear. Daniel took the opportunity to take a right, a left, and a right before he finally realized no one was following them anymore. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure?" Sam said into the phone. "Cassie, don't move. Stay there and stay with people. Don't put yourself in any kind of situation where you're alone."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't like the way this conversation was heading, and though the Jack with them hadn't seen Cassandra in two years, he still had the memories of her and their time together. This was hurting Jack as much as it was hurting him.

"Problem?" Jack asked.

"Two men are following Cassandra downtown at the local bookstore and café. They match the same type of description as the men we encountered today." Sam looked absolutely devastated. "She was going to shop downtown until I got out of work today."

"How far?" Daniel asked. He knew it didn't matter anyway.

"She's not far from the center of town. A few streets back from where we came."

Daniel nodded and started to turn the truck around. "Here we go again."

* * *

Daniel brought the truck to a screeching halt. It wasn't exactly the slow approach Sam had in mind, but right now her thoughts were focused on other things. 

Sam leaned over the seat, far enough so that Daniel had to push back to give her room. While part of her wanted to run in and grab Cassie so they could leave as quickly as possible, another part of her was concerned for Daniel and Jack O'Neill's clone. She didn't want a repeat of what happened at the mall.

"Go, Carter," O'Neill's clone said. He squeezed between her and Daniel before he fumbled below the seat. "We'll hold the fort."

"There's no gun there," Daniel warned him. "Jack removed his hidden weapons cache from the truck before he sold it to me."

"Dammit."

"Go." Daniel urged her with the wave of his hand. "We'll be fine. Just make sure Cassie's okay."

Sam nodded, giving the both of them one last anxious look before she jumped out of the Ford truck and walked into the bookstore.

It was a slow day from what Sam could see. The café at the front of the store had some patrons buying coffee, but the actual bookstore itself looked empty. Nonetheless, appearances could be deceiving. For whatever reason, these agents were taking a more subtle approach with Cassie instead of the more aggressive one with O'Neill. Sam figured the aisles themselves were crawling with agents, just waiting for Cassie to leave.

Sam started down one of the aisles in the bookstore, checking the shelves one by one, trying to discern if she were being watched or if anyone was hiding around the corner. She caught a few of bookish-looking college students, a couple of parents with their small children, and some bored looking teenagers.

No Cassie.

Sam repeated the movements with every aisle she searched, making sure to keep alert and watchful for anything that seemed suspicious. What made matters worse was that she knew the store owners were watching her – a trench coat and BDU's didn't make for the most endearing fashion statement.

Sam went down another aisle. Another. And another.

Still no Cassie.

Sam started to feel uneasy, concerned not only for Cassie's welfare, but also over the silent promise she made to herself and to her friend. She'd promised in Janet's memory that she would take care of Cassie at all costs. She couldn't fail Cassie and Janet now. Not ever.

Frustrated, Sam started to retrace her steps. She was certain that the man two aisles from her was one of _them; _not only had he kept lowering his book to spy on her, but he kept looking over his shoulder as if he were expecting someone to challenge him from behind. And if he was here, then more of them had to be hanging around, too.

Sam started down the last aisle again when she thought she saw something. Stopping, Sam stared back into the café, watching as a nervous young woman bought a large cappuccino. Cassie oscillated shifting her weight from one leg to the next as she kept stealing anxious glances over her shoulder.

Sam marched straight to the café counter.

"Cassie," she said, allowing the relief to fill her voice. She hugged her and kept her close.

"Oh, Sam, you came." Cassie hugged her quickly but her anxious twitches didn't stop. "They're right behind you," she whispered. "At the far table."

Sam didn't look back. "Daniel is waiting just outside. We're going to walk out of here, go straight to the truck, and go the SGC."

Cassie nodded as she clutched her cup. "Cool."

Sam rubbed her back and guided her away from the counter as she offered the cashier the best smile she could afford. The two of them quickly but carefully walked to the exit, feeling more than one pair of eyes on them as they left. As soon as they were outside, they rushed to the truck.

Cassie climbed in first slipping into the back to sit beside O'Neill. Sam hurried into the passenger's seat before nodding for Daniel to go. Daniel shifted the truck into drive and they sped away from the bookstore. Sam noticed that he checked the rearview mirror a couple of times before he slowed his erratic driving.

She didn't see anyone following them this time.

"Are you okay?" Daniel finally asked.

"Yeah." Cassie looked over to O'Neill's clone. "Who are you?"

Sam caught him roll his eyes which naturally elicited a shocked response from Cassie.

"Oh my God! You're Jack's clone!"

"That would be me," he said bitterly.

"I don't see anyone trailing us anymore," Daniel mentioned, interrupting the exchange. "You think they'd just give up like that?"

"We don't even know what they wanted in the first place." Sam considered calling Landry to tell him they were on their way, but she thought better of it. "What I don't understand is why someone would be after Cassie or —"

"The clone," O'Neill's younger double muttered.

Sam forced a smile but nodded. "What kind of information or leverage could they possibly get from either of you?"

"High school. College. It's a conspiracy I tell you."

Sam ignored the clone's remarks and tried to map out some kind of connection. O'Neill's clone and Janet's alien daughter. Did it have something to do with alien technology? Was it something deeper or something more obvious?

She shook her head and gazed out the window, watching the city streak by in a blur of color. Sam sighed. She just wasn't seeing it.

"Well, it has to be more than just a coincidence that both Jack and Cassie were followed by people today," Daniel said. He took another turn and they broke onto the main road that headed toward Cheyenne Mountain. "The question is why."

Sam nodded and for a moment felt like she was channeling the Jack O'Neill of old. "That really is the million dollar question, isn't it?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hank Landry shook his head as he hung up the phone. He'd been trying for the past hour to get through to someone at the Pentagon but he'd been stonewalled every shot. He'd even tried Jack, but attempting to reach the man was near impossible at times. He'd settled with leaving a message for both Jack and Major Davis and would call back again once the briefing was over.

He pressed the local intercom. "Keep me informed of any changes," he told Walter.

"Yes, sir."

Hank walked into the briefing room, pleased to see SG-1 was ready and waiting for him. This was their second briefing in less than three hours. He could tell that they weren't too enthused about it.

Hank couldn't say he was, either.

He glanced over at Doctor Jackson and Teal'c who were seated to his right and Colonels Mitchell and Carter who were seated to his left. He eased himself into the seat at the end of the table and clasped his hands. "So, what can you tell me?"

"Both Jack and Cassandra are fine," Jackson said. "They've been set up in VIP rooms for the time being."

"And? Do we have any leads on what the hell caused all this?"

"As you're aware, sir, Colonel Mitchell and Teal'c brought in one of the men for questioning," Carter said. "There was no form of ID on him, so we're trying to run a background check based on the materials that we discovered with him. The lab is also working to identify what substance is contained in the vials we brought back with us."

Hank wasn't very comfortable with the idea that someone out there was willing to drug his people. And by the sound of things, these men had a connection to some kind of government or corporate agency. Heaven help them if they had some kind of relationship with the Trust.

"Did you get any sense of what kind of people we're dealing with based on your confrontation with the man we have in custody?" he asked Jackson.

"He wasn't going to tell me." Jackson paused. "You're thinking it might be the Trust."

"From what I understand, we're not entirely sure if all of them were ever found."

Carter nodded thoughtfully. "It's a possibility that we've considered. We know that the Trust were infiltrated by the Goa'uld and have connections across several government agencies and affiliates. We've never been able to confirm just how many people were involved with the Trust or how many could have been taken as hosts."

"Not to mention, Ba'al acting as the de facto leader of the Trust," Jackson added. "For all we know, the real Ba'al could still be here on Earth."

"Yet, it is also possible that Ba'al could remain on another world," Teal'c said.

"Which doesn't help us," Mitchell mumbled as he leaned back in his chair. "So, basically, these Ba'als are just going to keep on a coming like cockroaches. You kill one, and you've got five more that take the sucker's place."

Hank sighed. What Colonel Mitchell was saying was all too true. He was aware of the connections the Goa'uld had to Farrow-Marshall, Procyon Media Enterprises, Hammel Technologies and so on and so forth. He knew the Goa'uld had gotten as far as penetrating the Russian government. Thankfully, that problem had been taken care of through Colonel Chekov and Russian President Mikailhov. He didn't even like to dwell on what had happened to Kinsey. At least Kerry Johnson within the CIA had been working for months on coordinating between agencies trying to root out any bad apples that might be spoiling the bunch. But even her efforts might not be enough.

"Let's just say these men are connected to the Trust in some way," he started. "Why would they want a clone and a girl from another planet?"

"Ba'al and Jack have some pretty heavy history," Jackson said. "If we are working under the assumption that Ba'al is running what is left from the Trust, maybe he's looking to seek some revenge through the clone."

"I don't think so, Daniel," Carter said. "If Ba'al found out that General O'Neill had been cloned, why wouldn't he have moved before now? Plus, that has nothing to do with Cassandra."

"Perhaps the opportunity had not yet presented itself," Teal'c said.

Carter shook her head. "No, I just don't think that is what is going on here."

"Do you have a theory?" Mitchell asked.

Hank leaned forward and waited expectantly. Colonel Carter's contributions were well known throughout the SGC; Hank had witnessed it himself. He was confident that even if she couldn't tell him outright what was going on, she could help shed some light on viable possibilities.

"Well, I can't say for sure, but it could be as simple as a matter of intel," she said. "Both General O'Neill's clone and Cassandra have important links to the program and to us. It's possible that Ba'al or the Trust are looking to get information that they can use now that they've been seriously undermined."

"It seems rather elaborate when they have connections to the NID," Jackson said. "Wouldn't it just be easier to use the connections they already have?"

"Not with the CIA monitoring them," she countered.

Jackson nodded and looked down at the paperwork in front of him. Hank took the move as his concession in the matter. The remaining members of SG-1 remained quiet, their gazes focused at the head of the table. Hank didn't answer their silent questions; he took a moment to pause and consider their options. They didn't have much information at the moment, but he had enough experience to know that this was something they couldn't just sit on. They'd proceed ahead and when more intel came, hopefully from their prisoner, then they could reevaluate their position.

Hank sat a little straighter in his seat. "Okay, first we'll —"

He stopped upon hearing a quick rapping at the door. Chief Sergeant Walter Harriman was standing just outside the briefing room. Hank hoped he wasn't interrupting with news of another "son" of Doctor Jackson.

"Chief," he said.

"Sir, I just got word from General O'Neill's office. The secretary informed me that he's in a very important meeting right now, but she'll have him call you when he's available." Both Walter and Hank paused when they heard some snickering from SG-1. The laughter quickly subsided as Hank urged Walter to continue. "I also have the preliminary reports from the lab on the man that SG-1 brought in."

"Good," Hank urged him to step forward by beckoning him with his hand. He took the report from Walter and flipped it open. "Keep me apprised of anything new."

"Yes, sir," he said before scurrying out of the briefing room.

Hank took the opportunity to skim the report while SG-1 waited for him to address them. He took his time, making sure he didn't miss something important. He was glad he did. Frowning, he tapped his finger on a section of the report before sliding it over to Colonel Mitchell. He motioned with his hand for him to give it to Colonel Carter.

She accepted the report and started to read through it. She frowned. He was certain he saw some of the color drain from her face.

"He's not a Goa'uld," Hank said. "But at this point, I'm far more concerned about what's in those vials."

Jackson shot a worried look over to Carter. "What's in the vials?"

Carter pushed the file away from her, almost as if the distance she was creating would protect her somehow. "Preliminary reports show the presence of the organisms that comprise nishta."

Mitchell and Teal'c turned to Carter in surprise. Jackson's face fell. "You can't be serious."

"She's right," Hank said gravely. He kept his gaze focused on Colonel Carter. "What I'd like to know is how and why these people got their hands on this stuff."

Carter remained silent.

"Sam?" Mitchell asked.

"When I was heading up R&D over at Area 51, I was consulted by some researchers working on creating various forms of biological and chemical warfare to use against the remaining Goa'uld or any other enemies. As a last resort," she added quickly. "They were being developed in order to subdue enemies without mass murder or unnecessary casualties."

"So, basically brainwash your enemy." Daniel tore off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. There was no attempt on his part to hide the scowl that had formed on his face. "Sam, if this is used against…"

"I know, Daniel. I know it's dangerous." She shifted uncomfortably. "But the benefits far outweigh any risks. We were hoping to eventually develop this to help mental patients or those afflicted with personality disorders."

"And you really believe that?" Jackson asked, his voice low.

Carter looked affronted. "Of course. It wasn't being developed to act in the way the Goa'uld used the organism. Our scientists have been working to adapt the organism into a tamer, safer form in conjunction with some of our known compounds. It isn't fully organic or inorganic. In fact, the patient —"

"Or victim," Teal'c said coolly.

"The patient," Carter said, continuing, "would never become fully pliant. We know that nishta inflects the tissues of its host, which then makes the host open to suggestion. We also know there are different kinds of nishta, some of which are stronger than others. As I've just mentioned, our scientists were working on a mild variant of the organism, mainly established on immunities in General O'Neill, Daniel, Teal'c, and myself based on our encounters with Hathor, Seth, and Apophis."

"They used us?" Jackson stared at her, his mouth open.

"Old tissue samples taken after our various encounters." Carter leaned forward, her gaze bordering on pleading. "Daniel, I didn't know about this until I started working at Area 51. They must have held onto the samples until our technology reached a point where they could use them."

Hank tried to remain patient, but patience had never been his strongest suit. "You said immunity."

"So, none of you all could become infected again?" Mitchell asked.

Hank noted Carter wince. "Not exactly. By changing the properties of the organisms, the scientists essentially created a new form of nishta."

Jackson groaned and he leaned back in his chair, his frustrated gaze now on the ceiling. Teal'c seemed to mirror his sentiment in a more controlled and cool manner.

"Colonel Carter, if this substance is discovered by dishonorable individuals, it could be used against the Jaffa or those in this very establishment," Teal'c said.

"I know and believe me, the scientists I consulted were aware of that possibility. Certain fail safes were put into place." She paused. "Used in a medical setting, this drug could help psychiatrists in hypnosis therapy or help people with various problems and illnesses. A simple suggestion could help them overcome some barrier they couldn't tackle on their own."

"Only problem is that I doubt the MIB in the other room wanted to help Jackson get over a caffeine addiction," Mitchell said.

Hank caught Jackson glare at Mitchell and he feared this briefing would soon get out of hand. This was not the time and place for them to debate the merits of an engineered drug. "The fact of the matter is this potentially dangerous drug is in the hands of people that could be in league with the Trust."

Carter nodded. "I know, sir."

"Somehow, this drug has switched hands from Area 51 to the Trust or some other group, and that's just not acceptable." Hank hated the complications this new development brought to the table. "These men were after Cassandra Fraiser and Jack O'Neill's clone for a reason."

"You're thinking they were going to use the drug on Jack and Cassie?" Jackson asked. His face paled. He understood.

"I don't know what they were planning, but I don't like the connection," Hank said. "If Ba'al had a hand in these attempted kidnappings, if that is even what they were, then we could be looking at possible spies and or plants in the form of people that you know."

Teal'c's eyes widened. "As has happened with the Jaffa High Council."

"Oh my God," Carter said, following his reasoning. "It could start with someone like General O'Neill's clone or Cassandra, and then they could be used to get to the rest of us. We could be looking at a foothold situation."

"Jackson's brush with our prisoner here might not have been just an accident," Mitchell muttered. "Isn't that just dandy."

Silence settled over the table as they all thought about the grim reality of their current situation. Hank knew one thing for sure. He wasn't just going to sit by and allow the SGC to go to hell in a hand basket.

"No one is going to compromise the SGC," Hank said, allowing the anger to flow through his voice. "Colonel Carter, I want you to get over to Area 51 and find me some answers. I want to know who's been involved in the nishta project and who's had access to its stores. I'll contact Agent Barrett and have him meet you there. You'll be coordinating with the NID on this one."

Carter nodded before she stood. "Yes, sir," she said as she made her way to the exit.

Hank turned to Teal'c. "I believe you have a meeting this afternoon?"

"Indeed. I am scheduled to meet with the High Council to discuss matters of Jaffa security." He clasped his hands behind his back and stood a little straighter, though Hank caught some conflict in his off-centered gaze. "If you require my assistance, I can remain."

"That won't be necessary, Teal'c. We need to make sure we maintain strong relations with the Jaffa Nation. Report back in when you're finished."

"That I will." He inclined his head in a slight bow before he ventured toward the exit. Mitchell and Jackson exchanged a furtive look as they waited orders.

"Doctor Jackson, why don't you talk to Jack's young clone and Cassandra Fraiser. I'm sure they would like some reassurances and I feel they'd be comfortable talking to you." Hank paused and tapped the table as he thought. He didn't want them to be interrogated but they really needed any relevant information that could shed light on what was happening. He settled for something simple. "See what you can find."

"Right." With that, he was gone.

That left Hank and Mitchell.

"I assume you're going to send me on some exciting fandangled mission," Mitchell said with a smile as he clapped his hands.

Hank chuckled. "If you could only be so lucky." He allowed the mirth to leave his voice and got down to business. "Colonel Carter, Doctor Jackson, and Teal'c all have strong emotion connections and investments in Cassandra Fraiser and the young Jack O'Neill."

"You need an objective eye on this case."

"You got it." Hank hated to make it seem like he was going behind their backs, but he needed someone with a little distance and perspective to look into any activity Cassandra or Jack's clone had been conducting over the past few months. For all they knew, Cassandra and the clone had already been compromised and this was just an elaborate set up to get to SG-1. Hank couldn't let personal relationships get in the way. Not with something this serious. "Be thorough."

Mitchell's smile faded and he nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And do some preliminary checks on the base personnel here in the SGC," Hank said as he started for his office. Mitchell stood as he walked away. "Anything suspicious –anything at all – I want brought to my attention. One can't be too careful."

"Don't you worry about it, General. After reading all those files for potential members of SG-1, I have a good idea where to start."

"Good. Keep me apprised of anything you find." Hank entered his office and quickly checked for any word from Jack or the Pentagon.

Nothing.

Setting his jaw, Hank started to dial the guards in the holding area. He wanted some answers. And he wanted them now.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Teal'c sat at the Council, vaguely aware of the proceedings around him. In truth, his heart was not with the Jaffa. He could not help but feel concern for Cassandra Fraiser and the young clone of O'Neill. If their pursuers were indeed in league with Ba'al, then they could very well still be in danger.

It was not only the fate of Cassandra Fraiser and the clone of O'Neill that concerned him. He was uncertain of the fate of Daniel Jackson, Colonel Carter, and Colonel Mitchell. They could be placing themselves at great risk in their investigations. The threat of nishta should not be taken lightly.

"Teal'c." He heard his name whispered close to his ear. Turning his head to the side, he noticed Bra'tac eyeing him with disapproval. "Your body is here but your mind is not."

"You must be mistaken. My mind and my heart remain here with the Council."

"Do not lie to me, Teal'c," Bra'tac said in a low but gruff voice. He was certain Bra'tac would ask him about his troubles at that moment, but he did not. "We will speak of this once the session has ended."

The proceedings were long. Teal'c did his best to focus upon the words of such speakers as Ka'lel and Shak'nor, but concentration proved to be difficult. He could not help but think of his friends and his longing to be with them.

Angry, he grabbed onto the edge of the table and squeezed until he felt the pain splinter through his fingers. He should not feel such strong attachments to the Tau'ri. He had fought so long for the freedom of the Jaffa. By right, the Council and the building of the Jaffa as a people should be his main concern. He understood his battles against the Ori would mean for him to remain with the Tau'ri for some time longer than he had expected. Only, it had been much to his surprise when he had felt a wave of relief once the decision had been brought before him.

He had not wanted to admit to himself how much at home he felt among his Earth brethren. And now, as he sat among his people, he could not seem to break his thoughts away from those that he had left behind.

The High Council adjourned, allowing the members to take their leave. Teal'c and Bra'tac walked away from the main chambers, journeying down the halls until they were far from the main body.

"Now," Bra'tac said firmly. "Tell me what is troubling you that it would take your mind from matters of our security."

Teal'c glanced over his shoulder. When he was certain that they were alone, he spoke. "This morning there was an incident on Earth involving a substance that could very well be nishta."

Bra'tac's expression changed from one of stone to one of astonishment. "And of this you are certain?"

"Indeed. The Tau'ri are investigating the matter as we speak."

Bra'tac looked away, lost in thought, before his face hardened and he grabbed Teal'c by the shoulder. "The Council cannot know of this, Teal'c. If they discover the Tau'ri have acquired such weapons – weapons not unlike those Ba'al himself only just recently has used in this very circle – the consequences would be catastrophic."

Teal'c gave a small nod. This he knew. Since the plot by Ba'al had been revealed to the High Council, the members had become paranoid and withdrawn. Many spoke of further laws to create a more independent Jaffa state, while others spoke of complete isolation from their allies of the Tau'ri. And while Teal'c agreed that the Jaffa need not become dependent on their allies, he did not feel such extreme measures would be in their best interest. Daniel Jackson had instructed him in the various histories of the Tau'ri. Teal'c was aware of what dangers could befall the Jaffa if they continued down this path.

"It had been my hope that the difficulties that we have faced as a people would unite us as one. Yet, it has only served to break us apart," Teal'c said softly.

After Gerak's passing, matters had only become worse. Ba'al's infiltration into the minds of the High Council had broadened the divide left in Gerak's wake. What could they do to remain as one?

"Take heart, Teal'c," Bra'tac said as he squeezed his shoulder. "Our battle is long, but our hearts are strong. Give it time."

Teal'c brought his gaze past his mentor to watch his fellow Jaffa as they weaved in and out of the hallways. He could hear the whisperings that were just past his grasp and see the tired faces of those that had worked hard for their cause. The High Council was growing weary and impatient. He did not know how long they could last.

He set his jaw and turned to Bra'tac, remembering one of the many phrases used by the Tau'ri. "I do not believe time is on our side."

* * *

Hank shut the door behind him, not bothering to put on his best face as he stared at the man seated and handcuffed in front of him. "Joseph Owens," he said, tossing the file on the table. "You were once employed by the NID, but your current position is classified." 

The man's gaze flickered across the file before sliding up to meet Hank's humorless expression. The corners of his mouth threatened to upturn into a self-satisfied smile. It was then Hank knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere with this man.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to try. "Who is your current employer?"

Owens didn't reply. He leaned back and cocked his head, watching Hank with a sly, smug look on his face. Hank had no patience for it.

"I can make your life a living hell if you don't give me the answers I need."

"I doubt that you will," Owens said with a smile. "You see, I'm well protected."

"By whom?"

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you anything?" He scoffed at Hank and shook his head. "What I am doing is none of your concern."

"Everything you are doing _is_ my concern," he said. "You attacked one of my people and you were involved in a plot to kidnap innocent civilians."

"Not so innocent as far as I know."

Hank slammed his hands down on the table and glared at his prisoner. He was not going to deal with this crap. "I can lock you up in one of our darkest cells and you will never see the light of day again if you choose not to cooperate."

Owens chuckled. "In a few hours, I'll be out of here. So, you can try to interrogate me all you like. This goes beyond you or me."

"And what would that be?"

Owens flashed his best grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Hank sighed with frustration and pushed away from the table. He already knew that for Owens' files to be classified meant he had to have connections to top-secret military or government offices. But his arrogant cocksure attitude made Hank uneasy. If Owens knew the right people who could pull some strings in his favor, this nishta plot could reach deeper than he'd originally thought.

He narrowed his eyes. "I am not playing games, Owens. You assaulted one of my people and I'm going to get answers from you if it's the last thing I do."

"And it may be."

Hank was about to describe all the things he was authorized to do and some that he wasn't when he heard a soft knocking at the door. He walked away from the table, sending Owens another meaningful glare before he opened the door.

It was Walter.

"Chief," he said quietly.

"Sir, I have General O'Neill on the line for you."

It was about time. Hank nodded to Walter before he turned to face Owens. "We're not through."

Owens shrugged. "I believe that we are."

"You aren't going anywhere." Hank swung the door open and slammed it, motioning to the guards to keep the exit secure. He marched after Walter and headed toward the elevator hoping maybe Jack and the Pentagon could shed some light on what the hell was going on.

* * *

Cameron tossed yet another file onto the stack he'd already sorted through. He'd gone through most of the personnel files for anyone that might have a connection to SG-1 – even some of those who didn't – and he couldn't find anything that would give him one iota of information. 

Everyone looked clean as far as he could see.

"So far, there ain't nothing helpful," he said aloud.

But he still had a few files left. Damn, he was not looking forward to those. He'd been avoiding them since he'd started this dull but necessary assignment. Frustrated, he rubbed at his head and stood, deciding to take a little stroll around his office.

And damn, was it a nice office. When General Landry had set him up in here, Cameron had thought he'd struck the lottery. The office was spacious, though not super large, and it looked brand spanking new. Cameron had thought that maybe the SGC had gone all out for little ol'him and whipped up something new and special.

Then, he'd found out it was General O'Neill's old office, back in the days when he was a colonel. O'Neill had never really utilized his office. Word of mouth said he was always hanging out in Jackson's office or Carter's lab. Hell, he could even be found writing up his reports in the commissary next to cake and pie and everything nice.

Cameron was thinking maybe that wasn't such a bad idea right about now.

Sighing, he lumbered back to his desk and threw himself into the chair. He tapped at some of the keys of his keyboard, finally calling up files on Cassandra Fraiser and little CLO'Neill.

He couldn't see anything unusual about those two, unless you counted that one was an alien and one was a clone. There was nothing normal about anything involving SG-1. But as he scrolled through the database, nothing really leapt out at him. Fraiser was going to college out in California and the clone was going to high school down here in Colorado Springs. Both seemed to be doing well and no brushes with the law. No nothing.

Well, there was the more than occasional incident with the clone and underaged drinking, but really Cameron couldn't blame him for that one.

He'd read that the Fraiser kid had been part of Nirrti's experiments. Could Ba'al or whatever Goa'uld be interested in her for that reason? O'Neill's clone had that funky genetic marker, same as the full-grown version. Maybe that was the key.

Or maybe, he thought dully, both the girl and the clone had been compromised long ago and only now were showing their hands. The nishta project could just be the cover they were looking for.

Cameron frowned, not liking that idea one bit. He had next to no experience with the Asgard, and even the Goa'uld were new to him, but it didn't stop him from connecting the dots. Something could have snapped in Fraiser a long time ago and SG-1 would have never been the wiser. And who's to say anyone really knew the clone's true purpose. He was created by a renegade Asgard. They'd been working on a whole hell of a lot of assumptions.

Then again, he could easily reason the same kind of batty conspiracy theories to himself or anyone at the SGC. Cameron couldn't just go around making baseless accusations without any proof.

Besides, Cameron had the utmost respect for his fellow teammates. He was just trying to do his job here.

But this whole super secret underground operation still made no sense to him.

A ring from his phone snapped Cameron from his thoughts. He turned away from the screen to reach over and grab the receiver. "Mitchell," he said.

"Colonel, I need you to grab Doctor Jackson and head to my office," General Landry said. "Immediately."

Cameron rolled his eyes. The way Landry was talking they could be sure this wasn't going to be fun. "I reckon this ain't gonna be good news for either of us."

"Try the planet," Landry muttered.

"We'll be there in a few."

Cameron hung up the phone and shut down his computer. He couldn't imagine what could be worse than all the other problems they were dealing with at the moment, but hey what the hell. Never a dull day at the SGC. Quietly, Cameron locked the door to his office and started down to the VIP rooms to nab Jackson.

* * *

Daniel sorted through his notes as he walked down the corridor to Jack's room. Cassie had already provided him with as much detail as she possibly could. Daniel had to give her credit; despite being scared and alone, she had managed to describe her situation and her pursuers in amazing detail. He sighed. Janet had taught her well. 

Unfortunately, the information Cassie had given him wasn't incredibly useful. He'd given the relevant descriptions to the data technician to do a personnel search, but that was going to take some time. So would a check on the cars she'd seen. Daniel doubted they would get value from those pieces of intel alone.

He was hoping maybe Jack had seen something Cassie hadn't.

Ramming the file under his arm, Daniel swiped his card and opened the door, meeting a very unpleasant young Jack inside. He was sitting in a chair by the room's table, slumped, his legs stretched out in front of him. His hard glare was completely centered on Daniel.

"Hello." Daniel forced a smile and tried to sound friendly. He moved over to the table and sat across from Jack, reminding himself not to get annoyed by his behavior. "How are you doing?"

"Cut the crap, Daniel," Jack said coolly. "You're here to interrogate me."

"No. No, no." Daniel looked away and opened the new file. He reached into his pocket and clicked his pen, hovering over the table to take notes. "I'm just here to talk about what happened."

"Yeah, same difference."

Daniel ignored him. Jack was ever the optimist. "Do you have any idea why someone would be after you?"

Jack thumbed his belt. "Didn't we already go over this?"

"Not in detail." Daniel smiled again. "So…"

"So, what, Daniel?" Jack sighed with frustration. "I wasn't cavorting with undesirables or involved in some government conspiracy. I've been living the life of a not-so-normal teenager since the Asgard ruined my life."

"I know." Daniel lowered his voice, trying to show his sympathy. Jack had never asked for this to happen to him. Daniel understood it had to be hard on him, especially knowing that he had to start his life all over again. It was a sentiment to which, ironically, Daniel found he could relate. "I'm not trying to make this difficult for you, Jack. I just want the same answers you do."

Jack raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. With a subtle nod, he motioned for Daniel to continue.

"Good. So, why don't you tell me what you were doing when you first realized you were being followed."

Jack shifted nervously in his seat, briefly averting Daniel's gaze until he seemed to recover. He glared at Daniel, impatience in his eyes. "I was at school."

Daniel didn't buy that. He recognized that look; he'd seen it many a time. Curious, he leaned across the table so that he could study Jack a little more closely.

"I'm not an artifact, Daniel."

Right. Of course not. But Daniel didn't back down. He crowded the table, his hands folded, as he eyed Jack intently. "Were you skipping class? Hanging around the school grounds…"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Please. I was on my way to the principal's office."

Daniel nodded and scribbled that down. "So, whatever you had done, would that have caught the eye of the men that were following you?"

"No, look." He paused, as if uncertain how to continue. Jack looked down at his hands. "I was running an errand for one of my teachers."

Daniel looked up. Now that was certainly interesting. "An errand. As in…"

Jack sighed. "I was delivering some test sheets to the principal for one of my teachers. Happy?"

Daniel couldn't fight the grin that spread over his lips. "You're the teacher's pet."

"Yeah, and I'm sure you never were."

"Actually, I wasn't." Daniel thought back to the not so fond memories of his youth. He'd always been ahead in his classes, skipping grades, and excelling past the normal curriculum. He's spent his teenage years translating Phoenician poetry while most of his classmates were playing touch-tag football. "I was a bit of a trouble maker," Daniel said, recalling his boredom.

"You? Trouble? Nah." Jack's eyes were gleaming. "I never would have guessed."

"Besides, you already know all about my personal history." He glanced over his notepad and his notes before tapping the paper. "But let's get back to why those men were following you."

"Daniel, we can sit here all day talking about it and get nowhere. They came to the school, told a pack of lies to the principal, and I ran. There was no way I could talk my way out of it, so I called you. You have one of the men in custody." He tilted his head, studying Daniel carefully. "What was in those vials anyway?"

Daniel held his gaze for a heartbeat before he glanced down to his notes. "That's classified."

"You can't be serious. This is me," Jack said, pointing to himself.

"I know."

"Look, Daniel," Jack said, standing. He approached the table and slammed his hands onto the surface. While he was trying to be intimidating, Daniel had a hard time taking a seventeen year old very seriously, even if he had the mind of a deadly Special Ops man inside. "I can help."

"Jack, you aren't even old enough to vote."

Jack's eyes narrowed.

Daniel went to comment, but he was stopped by a loud knock to the door. The security clicked, the door opened, and Colonel Mitchell poked his head through the space.

"Hey, Jackson," he called. "General Landry wants us stat."

Daniel frowned when he heard the seriousness in Mitchell's tone. For the short amount of time Daniel had known him, he'd gathered Mitchell was a jovial upbeat kind of person. He was the type that didn't take himself too seriously unless he had to, or unless something was dire enough to stop him dead in his tracks.

Either way didn't make Daniel feel any better.

Quickly, he gathered his paper and notepad and shoved them back into his file. He jumped to his feet, leaving a bewildered Jack behind him as he headed for the door.

"Hey!" Jack called after him. "What gives?"

Turning around, Daniel paused at the exit and pressed his hand against the doorframe. "I honestly don't know."

"Daniel…"

He offered Jack his most sympathetic gaze. "I'll talk to the general and see what he has to say."

"Thanks."

Daniel nodded and hurried out the door. The look of relief and gratitude on Jack's face had been a bit much. Daniel doubted that General Landry would allow Jack any access he might be hoping to obtain, but the least Daniel could do was try. He was still Jack, in some form or another.

"What was that all about?" Mitchell asked him as they started toward General Landry's office.

"Jack is bored." When he found Mitchell just staring at him, he tried a different approach. "Jack has never been one to sit back and let things happen. Well, aside from fishing…" he added before shaking his head. "To be stuck sitting around when he knows we're all working on something important drives him nuts."

"Even though it's not him."

"Well, it is him. In a way."

From the corner of his eye, Daniel caught Mitchell shrug. "You're thinking of asking Landry if he can help out?"

Daniel smiled and patted Mitchell on the shoulder. "It can't hurt to try."

* * *

Cameron followed Jackson into General Landry's office. Cameron had been quiet for the better part of their walk as he reflected on how to approach Jackson about his reservations. Part of him hoped that he was just being paranoid, but how on earth was he to supposed to confront Jackson about his issue with Cassandra and the clone with no proof? 

"So," he said, rubbing his hands together. He glanced at General Landry who was seated at his desk. "What's up?"

"Close the door," Landry said, motioning to Mitchell with his pen. "And take a seat."

Jackson and Cameron eased into the chairs set up in front of Landry's desk. Jackson let out a deep breath and frowned, still holding onto his files. Cameron didn't quite mimic his tension outwardly, but was feeling it inside. He leaned back into the chair and crossed his arms.

Landry's gaze fell to Jackson. "You have something for me, I take it?"

"Yes. Some information on the men that attacked Cassandra, actually." Jackson leaned forward and placed the folder on Landry's desk. "She managed to get some fairly detailed descriptions and even identified a plate number." He tapped the folder once before he leaned back. "I'm not sure how far it will get us, but it's a start."

"Joseph Owens," Landry said. "The man we have in custody used to work for the NID. His current position is now classified."

Cameron's eyes widened and he shot a look over at Jackson. Oh, he didn't look none too happy.

"Classified?" Jackson asked.

"Classified as in military classified?" Cameron added.

That caused Landry to raise his eyebrows.

"Are you telling me this guy is working for the government somehow?" Cameron just did not want to go down this route.

"Military. Civilian. Either way, he's working in connection to the government." Landry folded his hands, his piercing gaze steady on both Cameron and Jackson. "Normally, I would take the position that he might be a rogue agent of some kind, but he seems pretty confident that he'll be released."

"So, you're thinking that this Joseph Owens – or any of these men, for that matter – have orders or at least are protected through the government?" Jackson asked.

"Damn, that's cold," Cameron muttered, shaking his head. The repercussions were not something he wanted to really deal with right now.

"It gets worse."

"Worse?" Jackson stared at Landry, mouth open, his face wavering between annoyance and disbelief. "How can it get worse?"

Cameron watched as Landry's hand moved toward the phone. There was a red light flashing. Curious, he raised his eyebrows and studied Landry.

"I just got off the phone with General O'Neill in Washington," Landry finally answered, his voice grave. "The President is getting pressure from the countries involved in the IOA to draw up a treaty with the Ori."

Cameron laughed. He found he couldn't do anything but laugh. This was some seriously messed up stuff. He just couldn't believe that after all they had been through this year, plague not withstanding, that no one was sound enough of mind to know this was the worst idea in the history of ideas.

Jackson just continued to stare open-mouthed. But Cameron had started to learn that the deep lines that formed on Jackson's forehead, or the twitch to his neck and shoulders, usually meant he was really angry about something and was about ready to blow. Jackson was twitching again.

"This is a joke, right?" Jackson asked. "You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid I'm deadly serious," Landry said in the most severe voice Cameron had ever heard from him.

Time to divert attention away from Jackson. "With all due respect, sir, this bites. Did these people even see Independence Day? Mars Attacks?"

"Even if they did, I doubt they would care." Landry shook his head. "The East is reeling enough from natural disasters and problems like the bird flu. The Ori Plague only confounded the difficulties they were already having."

"The Chinese government is pressing for a treaty, aren't they?" Jackson asked.

Landry gave them both that look that meant they'd nailed it.

"And what about Europe? Russia?" Cameron asked.

Landry shook his head again. "I don't have any idea what political factions are at work there." He glanced over at his phone. "But I'm not in the best position to talk about that right now. I do have someone online who is." Quickly, Landry pressed onto the panel of his phone. "Jack, I've put you on speaker phone with Daniel and Mitchell."

"Daniel? Mitchell?" O'Neill's voice carried through the room.

Jackson cut right to the chase. "Jack, what the hell is going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know," he answered. O'Neill sighed. "The President called me into a meeting to tell me that he was getting pressure from the IOA to 'discuss' our position with the Ori."

"_Our_ position. And just what _is _our position, anyway?" Jackson asked hotly.

Cameron heard something unintelligible from the other end before O'Neill cleared his throat and spoke again. "Daniel, you know what my position is on this whole fiasco, but it's my job to make sure the planet stays protected."

Jackson had moved from near explosive to looking positively nuclear. Cameron looked to Landry, searching for some sign he was reading O'Neill incorrectly. Landry remained stiff as board.

"Jack, you can't be suggesting…"

"Oh, please. Of course I'm not suggesting a damn treaty. And neither is the President. I've briefed both him and the Joint Chiefs. There is no way we're going to negotiate with aliens that tried to wipe us out with bioweapons."

Cameron leaned forward, closer to the phone as if it would help him get his point across. "I hear a but in all this…"

"Those in Hayes' administration that know about the Stargate Program are split on how to deal with the Ori. I swear these people have their heads shoved so far up their asses that—"

"Jack," Landry said wearily.

"I'm due to meet with the IOA in two days. By then, I have orders from the President to submit proof as to why a treaty with the Ori would not be in Earth's best interest. If I can't provide that proof, the President may be forced to strike a compromise with the IOA and their respective countries."

"That means a treaty, doesn't it?" Cameron leaned back and shook his head. Wasn't that just special. "There's not gonna be any proof that will please these people."

"What?" Jackson asked, exasperated. "The Ori Plague wasn't enough?"

"You'd think it would be," O'Neill said. "But nope, course not. Just once I'd like for these pencil pushers to go through the Gate and see what it's like."

Landry sighed. "What do you need from us?"

"Nice segue," Cameron said, pretending he was now not the focus of Jackson's exasperation.

"I need some kind of proof to show the IOA."

Cameron glanced at Landry before turning to Jackson. They all knew that this wasn't a simple request. No, Cameron reckoned that this was not going to go down well at all. Now, just how the hell they were going to find something more obvious than a plague, he didn't know. All he knew was that in the end, it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Jack, if a pandemic isn't enough to convince anyone, I don't see what can." Jackson sighed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "Two days?"

"I don't care. Find me something that has to do with all this Doomsday stuff. Do what you have to do to get me the proof so I can nip this in the bud. And no more of this addictive corn," he mumbled. "You have two days."

Jackson sat up straighter, "Jack!"

"Don't worry. I'm working on stalling. And General Hammond has been playing diplomat with the Chinese, among others. He's good at that sort of thing." He paused. "Landry?"

He nodded. "We've got our orders."

"Good. Don't let me down, Daniel."

There was an audible click and the line went dead.

The three of them sat is silence. Cameron hadn't a clue what kind of proof they could find or even where they could find it. And if and when they did, then what? Jackson couldn't even convince the Appropriations Committee for more funding despite having the dominatrix linked to him. He was right in thinking nothing would change the International Oversight Advisory's mind. This wasn't a matter of just running scared. These people had their own agendas and had made up their minds long ago. He wondered if that's how SG-1 had felt with Kinsey.

"Well," Jackson finally said, bringing up a humorless smile. "This day keeps getting better."

"We don't have any new intelligence coming from our allies, aside from unsubstantiated vague threats of Doomsday and a possible crusade, that could implicate the Ori in anything more serious than the plague." He paused, looking both Cameron and Jackson squarely in the eyes. "I'm open to suggestions."

Jackson glanced over to Cameron. He could tell what Jackson was thinking. It sure as hell would be nice if they had any.

"Unscheduled off-world activation!"

The words cut through Cameron just as the sound of the klaxons filled the office. Immediately, Jackson, Landry, and himself charged out the door and headed down to the control room below.

Harriman was sitting where he always seemed to sit, plugging away at the controls in front of him. As usual, Jackson sidled up behind him along with General Landry. Cameron decided to slip beside Jackson so he could get a better view.

Harriman tilted his head, turning upward to meet Landry's gaze. "Sir, it's Langara."

Jackson's face went white at the sound of that word. Which, in turn, immediately sparked a memory filed away somewhere in Cameron's brain.

"Langara. I read that report. That's the planet with all the bickering, snotty two-timers, isn't it?"

"Something like that," Jackson said quietly. He moved away from Cameron and hovered over Harriman and the controls. "This is Daniel Jackson."

"Doctor Jackson." The voice was filled with relief. "It sure is good to hear you."

"Jonas?" Jackson stood a little straighter, rubbing his temple with his index finger. Cameron could tell he was a little more than surprised, but he wasn't really sure why. "It's good to talk to you, too…what's going on?"

"Daniel, it's bad."

Cameron and Jackson exchanged a hesitant look before returning their attention to the closed Stargate. What else could possibly go wrong?

"There's a Prior on Langara."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam waited at the entrance of Area 51 and scowled, glancing at her watch. She flashed her most patient and personable smile to the guard who was standing with her. She glanced down at her watch again. Every minute that passed was time wasted. Time wasted set them back further; they were behind enough as it was.

God, they'd tried to use alien technology against her and her friends. Again. Sam tried not to dwell on how many times SG-1's exploits and spoils had been used against them, but as far as she was concerned, even once was one too many.

Sam was growing weary of the problems that she had faced over the years. The cost had been too great. She'd lost so many friends. She'd lost people she loved. She'd lost family. And even though her father had been given a second lease on life, she'd lost him again, too.

She'd become tired.

Maybe somewhere in the back of her mind she'd thought working in Research and Development would have changed that. She could escape the pain. She could walk away from all the death. The distance could allow her to try to rebuild and give her some perspective. She could focus on those she loved. She could be a person again.

Then, Daniel ran into trouble with the Ori. She had been recalled to work at the SGC. All of a sudden she found herself on SG-1 again. But strangely, nothing happened. She didn't break. She didn't crumble. She remained Sam – the same old Sam. She went about her day just like any other.

Sam could have theorized forever on the changes and variations in her life, or the divergent possibilities that lay within, but her thoughts kept returning to Cassie. She glanced at her watch. Every minute that went by…

"Colonel Carter."

Sam glanced up to see Agent Barrett approaching her. Business as usual, he was dressed in a standard suit, his face serious, with the occasional flicker of humor shining in his eyes. He extended his hand.

Sam reached out and shook it. "Agent Barrett."

"You're looking well," he told her.

She smiled but withdrew her hand. "Thank you. So are you. But can we dispense with the pleasantries?"

He nodded, his humor gone, as they started to enter the general entrance to the facility. "I was in touch with General Landry." He glanced over to the guard. Sam shook her head. "He passed along the necessary information."

"Good. This is Captain Harding. He'll be escorting us to the main office and holding where we'll change and drop off our personal belongings. Then, we'll be escorted to Research and Development."

"Sounds good."

Neither of them said much as Harding brought them to holding. They were processed, changed into the drab khaki jumpsuits mandatory for security purposes, and led into the main facility. Captain Harding had since been replaced with Major Kelley who guided them down a series of hallways and checkpoints.

Sam stepped closer to Barrett and lowered her voice. "What do you have?"

"I did a check through our system with the information General Landry provided. It seems your would-be attacker is Joseph Owens. He worked for the NID a year ago."

Sam shook her head and looked away. How could one organization be so corrupt? Over a year ago, the agency had finally been announced clean. Just what the NID consider clean?

"So, there is an NID connection," she said.

"Apparently. But as I said, he left the organization a year ago."

She glanced over to him. "The Trust?"

Barrett shook his head. "I don't think so. His next known address is a place in Virginia, right outside of D.C."

Sam fell silent. Barrett's voice held a certain tone, a paradoxically edgy softness that she had come to know as a sign he was leading into something. She stopped to glare at him. "Are you suggesting that this ex-agent of yours is now working for the federal government?"

He paused along side her, not missing a beat. "D.C. is the hub for most agencies. The NID, Homeworld Security, Congress, Hayes' administration, the Pentagon…the list goes on and on, Colonel. The rogue agents had links to Kinsey and we know how far deep that connection went."

Sam shook her head and started walking again. She had hoped that when Kinsey had been exposed, the deep-seated corruption would have gone with him. Now, they had another potential conspiracy that lay in the heart of the Capital. At this point, she couldn't be sure if this was something entirely new, or if the Trust had regained hold of their influence in Washington and beyond.

Sam and Barrett showed their badges at the next check in. They both walked down the corridor, following Major Kelley towards Research and Development. She knew where to find the biolabs. She just hoped that Doctor Emerson was still working on the project. At least Sam felt comfortable enough searching for answers from one of her former colleagues.

Sam leaned closer to Barrett and whispered into his ear. "I'm sure Landry couldn't inform you of the brunt of this assignment over the phone, but we're here to investigate a highly dangerous biological agent."

"He mentioned the Nishta Project," he said in an equally low voice. "I'm familiar with the research, but I'm sure you know a hell of a lot more than I do. I assume this has something to do with the incident that happened early today?"

Sam nodded. "Nishta is composed of an organism that can be used to make the host open to suggestion or can be used in more severe cases of brainwashing. Agent Barrett, if this biological agent falls into the wrong hands and is used in an attempt to infiltrate all branches of the government, including the military and the SGC, we could be looking at a foothold situation. Our entire country could be compromised."

"The Goa'uld? Ba'al?" he asked.

She nodded. "It's a theory."

"One I hope we can reserve as a worst-case scenario only."

"The potential is there," Sam said. She thought of General O'Neill's clone and Cassandra and her stomach tightened. "They could have used it on anyone and we wouldn't know."

"They tried to use it on Doctor Jackson this morning," Barrett said. "And would have possibly attempted the same on Cassandra Fraiser and…Jack O'Neill if you hadn't gotten there." He nodded, his expression cool and distant, as if he were working out the problem. "Not unlike the first problem we worked on together."

"No, I guess not," she admitted.

He nodded slowly. "We make a pretty good team, wouldn't you say?"

Sam smiled, but it was tempered by the weight of their situation. They reached the last checkpoint at the entrance to R&D. She nodded her thanks to Major Kelley who allowed them access into the labs. When he was gone, she returned her attention back to Barrett. "We'll see." Sam waved her hand toward the door. "Shall we?"

* * *

Jonas sat at the briefing room table, occasionally raising his hand to wave at any number of soldiers that walked by the exit. He had to admit that he was surprised by many of the differences here, even if the SGC had been good enough to inform the Langaran Committee of the major staffing changes at Cheyenne Mountain. Jonas figured he was just feeling a little in awe of the Stargate, having missed the feel of travel, or maybe the nostalgia of his good times when he was a part of SG-1. 

He smiled and waved a little hello to the man named Cameron Mitchell who had slid into the seat across from him.

"Is…Major Carter around?" Jonas asked.

"Colonel," Mitchell said, correcting him. "She's a colonel now."

Jonas nodded. "Well, that's great." He tapped his fingers and looked around, wondering where Doctor Jackson had gone.

"She's working on a project," Mitchell said. "Not on the base." Mitchell leaned forward, studying Jonas in a way that made him feel slightly uncomfortable. "Are you the Jonas Quinn that was on SG-1 for a year?"

"That would be me."

"I read all your reports. Those were sweet times." Mitchell laughed and leaned back in his seat. "I'm on SG-1, myself, now."

"We'd been informed that Jack O'Neill had been promoted and that there were some changes here at the SGC." Jonas looked around the room, remembering the briefings and the discussions he'd had with various people. "But the place still feels the same."

"Doesn't it, though?" Mitchell turned to swivel in his chair and glance over at the Stargate. "It's an amaz—"Mitchell stopped and stood as Doctor Jackson and the new General Landry stepped into the briefing room. Jonas turned his attention to the two of them.

"Ah, there you guys are," Mitchell said cheerfully. "We were just catching up on old times."

Daniel tilted his head. "Wouldn't you need to have old times to begin with in order to catch up on them?"

Jonas chuckled and pointed to Daniel. "Ah, Doctor Jackson, you still have your wit."

Daniel paused long enough to smile at Jonas, before he became serious again and took his seat next to him. General Landry headed towards General Hammond's coveted old seat.

"Sorry for the delay," Landry told Jonas, sounding as apologetic as a military man possibly could. "We've had a busy day here. I hope you can understand."

"Oh, I understand. I worked here for a year or so. I know how intense this place can truly be."

Jonas smiled again, even if inside he felt anything but cordial. He knew based on the initial warnings the SGC had given Langara and their other allies earlier this year that priors were bad news, but he was also concerned what could be so important here on Earth that it was weighing so heavily on the personnel. It seemed as though, to him, the entire SGC had a cloud hanging over their head.

"Good," Landry said. "So, we're all on the same page."

"Now, you said a Prior visited your world," Daniel said, wasting no time jumping into the conversation. Jonas glanced over to him to see he was already busily scribbling away. "When did this first happen?"

"Just today," Jonas said. "He came through the Stargate on Kelowna and immediately started preaching Origin. I met with the First Minister to give my recommendations on the subject." He sighed, shaking his head. "First Minister Dreylock did her best to stall the Prior while I dialed the Stargate to come here."

"These guys just don't give up," Mitchell muttered.

Jonas eyed him closely, reading the experience in his eyes. "My people are never going to accept Origin. We-we haven't had a Goa'uld ruling over us for thousands of years. There is no way our people are just going to sit back and let someone else take over."

Daniel sighed. "I can't imagine the Tiranians and the Andari are going to take this well."

Jonas let out a humorless chuckle. "Despite the Committee and the Joint Council, our three nations are not getting along well. If either the Andari or the Tiranians find out about this Prior, they'll believe it's a Kelownan ploy and any hope at a long-lasting peace will be gone."

"Boy, these Priors are sure spreading the love, now aren't they?" Mitchell mumbled.

"Jonas…" Daniel said slowly. The mix of anger and apprehension in his eyes made Jonas a little queasy. "You do know if your people don't submit to the Ori, they could wipe out your people."

Jonas nodded and looked down at his hands. He knew this from the initial warnings that the SGC had sent, though he sensed something far more horrible had since happened. But even so, he also knew that Doctor Jackson was not suggesting for them to give up.

"That's why I came here. Maybe with your help…"

Jonas stopped when he realized the mood had shifted in the room. Landry wore a sympathetic gaze, one that had managed to poke through his hard exterior while Mitchell seemed tense and uncomfortable. Daniel looked the most awkward, his head down, his face buried from sight. If Jonas knew anything about the man in their short time together, he knew that Daniel felt torn or conflicted.

Then, it clicked.

"You…you are going to help us," Jonas said, trying to sound firm, but realizing his voice was close to cracking.

None of them answered.

Jonas felt the betrayal cut through him like a knife. He'd worked at the SGC for a year. He'd left his own country and smuggled in naquadria for Earth to use and manage. He'd helped them fight Anubis. Why would they turn on him now?

"Mr. Quinn…" Landry started.

"No, I understand. I understand perfectly."

"No, I don't think you do," Daniel said.

Jonas sent a puzzled glance over in Daniel's direction before he turned to Landry. The general sighed. "Mr. Quinn, we've just recently – as in today – received some disturbing intel that we need to handle. This has nothing to do with you, your plight, or your people."

"Jonas, we have two days to find evidence to support our position that the Ori need to be stopped," Daniel clarified for him. Daniel paused, cleared his throat, and got the nod to continue from Landry. "We're having an international dispute not unlike your own."

"Then, you understand." Jonas didn't take it any further.

"Only we're stuck," Mitchell added. "Even a plague ain't good enough for these people."

Jonas jerked with surprise. He hadn't realized a plague had hit Earth. Then again, their two worlds hadn't spoken in quite a long time. With Langaran politics heating up and the troubles on Earth…well, at least Jonas now knew why. Curious, he turned to ask Daniel if the plague was related to the sickness they'd experienced in Antarctica, but before he could even verbalize the question, Daniel seemed to read his mind and nodded in reply.

"Wow," Jonas said. It seemed to be the only thing he could say.

"So, I'm sure you can understand," Landry said. "We need to dedicate our resources to finding something that will sway the international community."

"Jack needs this information for a meeting he has in two days." Daniel sighed and looked down at his hands. "And we haven't even started."

"What about coming to Kelowna then?" Jonas knew it was a long shot, but he had to try anyway. "Maybe the Priors have stepped up their campaign and you could find something useful there."

"We've encountered these brainwashed creeps on planet after planet," Mitchell said. "There's no getting through to them."

"And if we go, we could be putting you and your people at considerable risk. The Ori and the Priors know who we are," Daniel said, his voice holding more weight than Jonas had heard in a long time.

Jonas pondered his words, beginning to wonder just what SG-1 had gone through this year. But he knew they weren't heartless. He could see they were stuck and were waiting for the right opportunity. He had to think of something that could work.

"I don't mean to sound selfish, but couldn't another SG team go looking for this proof you need? Or, maybe you could send an experienced team back to Kelowna with me while you continue to try to work this out."

Daniel glanced over to Mitchell before turning his gaze onto Landry. Neither Mitchell nor Landry said anything, though Jonas could tell by Daniel's pleading eyes that he was appealing to their sympathetic side. Jonas thought maybe it was working. Landry turned to Mitchell, and the colonel gave a slight but perceptible nod.

"All right. Colonel Mitchell, Doctor Jackson, I want you to accompany Jonas Quinn back to Kelowna. I'll have SG-12 sort through any of the latest intelligence to see if we can start from there." Landry stood and Mitchell stood to match him. "See if you can find anything on Kelowna that could be useful for both our planets."

Jonas sighed with relief. He pivoted his chair so he could look at Daniel, hoping that his smile expressed the gratitude he was feeling.

Daniel nodded once in acknowledgment, but he was on his feet again before Jonas could say anything. Daniel had gathered up his folder and had walked over to meet General Landry at the entrance to his office. Jonas couldn't really hear the conversation very well, though he did pick up on a few words here and there. "Help" and "Jack" and "useful." But even more interesting was that Mitchell was standing right along side them, listening to every word.

Jonas wasn't sure exactly what it was that made Mitchell stand out, but there was something. Maybe it was the way he was listening, with his body stiff and his face dead serious. Or maybe it was the sly little glances he kept shooting Jonas' way. He just didn't know. The guy seemed friendly enough.

"I'll take that under advisement. Now, you and Colonel Mitchell have a mission to complete."

Daniel nodded, looking partly triumphant and maybe a little defeated, as he started walking back toward Jonas. Jonas smiled again, and even offered a little wave, despite the fact his real attention was on Mitchell. He was standing by Landry, his voice too low to hear, but Jonas caught the way Mitchell was gazing at Daniel. And if he was reading the new general right, he seemed to agree.

"Hey, Daniel," Jonas said quietly. "How're you liking the new colonel?"

"Oh, Mitchell?" Daniel shrugged. "He's a good guy. A little green, but he's getting the hang of it." He smiled at Jonas and patted him on the shoulder. "Let's get going."

"Sure," Jonas said. But as Daniel passed by him, allowing Jonas another look at Mitchell and Landry, he got that uncomfortable feeling again. They had taken one last glance back at him and Daniel before the two of them had disappeared into Landry's office.

* * *

Sam studied each workstation as she walked down the aisles in the lab. She would pause and write in her notepad before moving onto the next. Doctor Emerson had given her full access to the labs, as well as the samples, in an effort to show that the project was still on track. Sam hadn't gone into detail on the exact nature of her investigation, or that she was investigating at all. As far as the staff was concerned, Sam and Barrett were just heading up a routine evaluation of the program. But as far as Sam could tell, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. 

"As you can see, Colonel, since you've left we've had increased success in stabilizing the organism," Emerson said proudly. She approached one of the main refrigeration units in the lab. After keying in her passcode, the unit opened, exposing vials filled with liquids of various colors. "By cloning the cells of the dead organisms we had from SG-1's tissue samples and injecting them into fresh blood samples, we were able to synthesize the chemical effect they have on the host body." She smiled proudly at the results in the freezer. "We can now manufacture a milder form of the organism in both gaseous and liquid form."

"Did you ever do any trial runs?" Barrett said from the other side of the room. He was flipping through some of the paperwork from the lab research.

Doctor Emerson hesitated. Both Barrett and Sam exchanged an uneasy look as they waited for Emerson to continue. Finally, when she realized that they were waiting, she spoke.

"Yes. So far we've had two successful tests."

"When were these tests done?" Barrett asked.

"They were just done three months ago." Emerson motioned to one of the workstations. "We had two staff members volunteer for the project. We exposed them to the nishta, kept them under surveillance, and concluded the experiment. Both came through without a problem." Her eyes twinkled with delight. "And both have had success in overcoming their weight problem."

Sam forced a smile. Months ago, she would have been as proud as Doctor Emerson in their progress, but now she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Just based on what happened today alone, no matter how good the lab's intentions were, this would never be used properly.

"You said successful, right?" Sam asked.

Emerson nodded. "Yes."

"So, there were unsuccessful attempts," Barrett said. He walked over to meet both Sam and Emerson. "What happened in those attempts?"

Whatever pride Emerson had displayed with her work ebbed into embarrassment and discomfort. "Some people didn't take to our modified compound. A few people became ill."

"How ill?" Sam pressed.

"They were hospitalized."

Sam shook her head, trying to keep her frustration in check. She glanced over at Barrett who seemed to be having more trouble than she was.

"What happened to them?" Sam asked.

Emerson turned away from Sam and closed the refrigerator. "A couple of people became comatose. We found that the organism had penetrated too deeply into their tissues to the point their bodies could not function on their own."

"I take it this is nothing compared to what happened to the ones you haven't mentioned," Barrett said coolly.

Emerson sighed and walked a few steps away from them. Sam and Barrett watched her closely. Emerson seemed to be fighting for composure or trying to decide whether she should even be speaking to them.

"Something's happened, hasn't it?" Emerson asked.

"Why would you think that?" Barrett returned.

Emerson retraced her steps and hovered close to Sam. She steered Sam and Barrett over to one of the workstations and bent over the equipment.

"Our backs are to the cameras," she whispered. "I didn't want to say anything because I could go to jail for this."

"We can get you immunity," Barrett said.

"I don't think you can." She pretended to start demonstrating one of the tools to Sam and Barrett. "What happened has been classified."

Classified? Sam shot a wary look to Barrett. Somewhere past his cool and collected exterior, Sam could tell he was just as pissed off as she was.

"I'm only telling you because I know I can trust you," Emerson said to Sam. "You always believed in the positives in the project. You really wanted this to work."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Some of the volunteers took too well to the nishta compound." Emerson shook her head. "They lost themselves. They became like empty vessels. All their personality just evaporated. They could only do as they were told."

"Drones," Sam whispered.

"That's a fair assessment," Emerson said. She picked up an empty vial and held it up to the light, examining it, before she placed it back down. "We couldn't reach them anymore," she said, continuing as she feigned her demonstration. "Sure, they did what we told them to do, but we couldn't snap them out of it. Their eyes are empty. That is how you can tell. There's nothing inside."

"What about blood tests? Tissue samples?" Sam asked.

Emerson shook her head. "Since we synthesized the nishta, we made sure that it untraceable. It's nearly undetectable in once injected."

"Nearly," Sam repeated. "But not entirely."

"No, not entirely."

That gave Sam some hope.

"How does this connect to Joseph Owens?" Barrett asked. He nodded and pointed to the vials, urging Sam to do the same.

She was way ahead of him. She had started nodding her approval, making "note" of it in her file.

"Joe?" Emerson seemed genuinely surprised by the name. "Well, he worked with us last year. He was the official NID representative overseeing the project."

"Or unofficial," Sam said, raising her eyebrows at Barrett.

"Agent Owens was here on assignment in conjunction with a different project," Barrett told them. "What was he doing here?"

Emerson looked away, flipping through a small book that was by the side of the workstation. She licked her lips and bowed her head, remaining silent.

"Barbara?" Sam asked. She placed her hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

"He was here under presidential order," Emerson stated quietly.

Sam felt her mouth grow dry. She shot an angry look to Barrett, but he was just as shocked. She couldn't fathom why President Hayes would sanction something so dangerous and so discreet, especially when he had close ties to General Hammond and General O'Neill. She also could not accept that he would put Cassie or O'Neill's clone in such a hazardous situation. He had always supported the SGC. He was the one that prompted for General O'Neill's recent promotion. How could he even consider something like this? And then there was the little doubt that kept coming to the surface. Chances were that if the President had given this thought, he would have consulted with both General O'Neill and General Hammond. Their support in something as serious as this was not a thought she could consider right now. She just couldn't. Neither one of them would have ever agreed to something so deceitful.

"Are you sure?" Sam finally asked.

Emerson nodded. "Joe took a sample of the drug we'd created last year and brought it to the Pentagon."

"Well, I hate to tell you but your Joe attacked a civilian consultant to the military this morning and might have been plotting to use the substance on two children," Barrett said.

"No." Emerson shook her head, her eyes wide. "Joe had promised that nothing harmful would have come from their analysis of the drug."

"Well, it did," Sam said bluntly. She tapped the desk and lowered her voice even more. "Barbara, I need for you to pack up your stuff. We're going to escort you to the SGC for protection. You'll be safe there."

Emerson shook her head before raking her shaking hands through her short hair. "I-I can't."

"The SGC will protect you," Barrett assured her. "And the NID will conduct a full investigation into this matter. We'll protect the integrity of your research."

"No," Emerson said empathically. "You don't understand. If what you're telling me is true, then my work here is more important now than ever."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

Emerson met her gaze, her eyes intense and full of fear. "Sam, there is no cure for OC-17. The version of the drug we had last year is all-pervasive. Joe didn't take the perfected form of the drug."

"Are you telling us there is absolutely no way to help those infected with the older prototype?" Barrett asked angrily.

"Not at the time, no," she said quietly.

Barrett opened his mouth and Sam was sure he was about to slam the table, but she grabbed him and smiled cordially at Doctor Emerson. "Thank you so much for your help, Doctor." She allowed her voice to carry. She extended her hand to Emerson. "I'll be sure to tell my superiors the progress you've made with this drug. As you know, you have the full support of the SGC. You'll find General Landry signed off on our continued cooperation."

Sam caught Barrett nodding from the corner of her eye. "Yes, thank you. So far, you've followed compliance procedures. I have a few recommendations on future adjustments to security measures, but for now I see no problems with the program. If you have any concerns, you can always give my office a call."

Emerson smiled, stepping closer to Sam. She shook her hand, keeping her face pleasant as she transferred a vial through their exchange. "It was good to see you again, Colonel. It's a shame you couldn't have stayed with R&D. But we'll continue to work on the project."

Sam nodded, tightening her hold on the small thumb-sized vial. "Thank you. We look forward to your latest update." She turned to Barrett. "I believe we're done here."

They waved goodbye and exchanged a few more pleasantries before they exited the room. Barrett and Sam started toward the first checkpoint. Sam eyed the security guards carefully, her gaze settling on the bowl by the x-ray machine.

"How are you going to get it past security?" Barrett whispered.

"Watch." Sam slowed and fell a step behind, using Barrett as a shield. When she was certain that most of her body was blocked she slipped the vial down her chest to settle in her bra. Smiling, she took a quick step forward to match him and rolled her shoulders to emphasize what she had done.

Barrett just shook his head. "Nice. But how does that help you if they decide to do a strip search?"

"Well, we had better hope it doesn't come to that," Sam said, her face grim.

Sam smiled at the security guards at the first checkpoint. _It had been far easier getting in_, she thought, as the guards patted her down and had her walk through the metal detector. She waited as they examined the x-ray that had been taken of her body. Barrett stepped in position to be next.

"Can you stand aside, ma'am?"

_Oh boy_, she thought, stepping away from the checkpoint. She watched as they finished with Agent Barrett and tried not to look nervous or guilty. When he received the go ahead, she returned to the guards and went through the process again. This time, security gave her a hard pat down, making sure that they poked and squeezed every part of her body in the most humiliating fashion.

"Okay, you're clear. Go on ahead. Major Hurst is waiting for you."

"Thanks," Sam said, leaving the first checkpoint behind. She walked more confidently along with Barrett as they proceeded down the hall to meet Hurst.

"So, are you going to tell me how you managed that?" Barrett asked, one of those sly would-be smiles touching his lips.

Sam tried to keep from gloating. But she wasn't about to give away the secret behind her success. Or the power that rested in padded bras that were made of a concealing material that she'd helped design.

"Let's just say it rests in the padding," she told him with a grin.

Barrett stepped aside with surprise. To Sam's amusement, she could tell he was struggling to keep his gaze from dropping down to her breasts. She broke out into a full grin, flashing her pearly whites.

_Yes_, she thought. _I wear superbras_. She wondered vaguely if this was what happened to people who went through the Stargate one too many times.

They quickly made their way through the checkpoints and reached the general offices and processing area. Sam and Barrett changed into their respective outfits and grabbed their belongings. They didn't say much as they waited to be escorted out of the facility, but then again there wasn't much to say. Not anything that could be said out in the open.

Once they were finished signing out, Sam and Barrett said goodbye to the guards and made their way to the parking lot. She knew they would be under surveillance and watched until they were off the premises.

"So," Barrett said, keeping his voice casual as they were brought through the lot. "Once this is all over, I was thinking that maybe we could relax, catch up over dinner at—"

Sam jumped, feeling her cellphone vibrating in her pocket. She took out the phone, waiting for one ring, two rings, before she flipped it open to check on the caller.

She stared. That couldn't be right.

"What's wrong?" Barrett asked.

Sam didn't answer him. She pressed the talk button and pressed the phone to her ear. "Carter," she said.

"Sam, what is this, some kind of sick joke?"

She cleared her voice. "Pete."

"Are you trying to prove something to me? Is this some way of getting even with me?"

Sam bristled. Their breakup hadn't been on the best terms, but she hadn't been able to think of a better way to let him down. In truth, she should have realized she wasn't prepared for that kind of relationship a long time ago. She'd never be able to make it up to Pete, but that didn't give him any right to take it out on her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, keeping her voice even.

"Oh, don't give me any of that bull, Sam. I've got agents breathing down my neck." There was a break in the signal before it cleared. "Are you trying to tell me you have nothing to do with that?"

Any of the anger Sam had been feeling just seconds ago evaporated and was replaced by fear. "Did you say you were being followed?"

"Don't act so surprised," he muttered.

She glanced over at Barrett who was clearly as engrossed in the conversation as she was. Sam didn't even try to keep their call private. "Pete, listen to me. I need you to get to Cheyenne Mountain. I don't care where you are. Get there as quickly as possible. I'll make sure you have all the necessary clearance."

He laughed. "Are you crazy?"

"Dammit, Pete! I'm not joking!" She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to keep her voice steady. "I think you're in danger. Please, Pete. Please."

"Hey. Okay." His voice dipped and quieted, entering into that place that once left her feeling warm and special. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry. What's going on?"

"I don't have time to explain. Just please," she whispered.

"Sure." There was a pause. "I'll call you when I get there. Take care of yourself."

"You too. Thanks, Pete." She shut the phone.

Barrett waited for her to calm down. "What was that all about?"

"Pete is being followed by someone." She flipped her phone again, already dialing. "That's the fourth person today." Sam pressed the phone to her ear, waiting for Landry to pick up. "Every single person who has been followed has had some link to SG-1."

Barrett stared at her. "Anyone could be a target."

She pursed her lips and sent him a look that he'd won the jackpot. Ring, ring, voice mail.

"Dammit!" Sam held the phone, trying to think of her next move. She didn't blame Landry; he was probably in the middle of his own investigation. But this was too important to sit on. She dialed again, but this time she tried something different.

"Who are you calling?" Barrett asked.

"Someone who will make sure this gets taken care of. Now."

* * *

The phone was ringing. He really hated that damn phone. 

He sighed and put his pen down, sliding his report to the side. He let the phone ring once more, just one more time…They weren't going away.

He snatched the receiver. "O'Neill."

"Sir, it's me. It's Carter."

"Carter!" Jack leaned back in his chair, thoroughly pleased with himself for answering the phone. "And to what do I owe this honor?"

There was an awkward pause on the other end. Jack straightened in his seat, unnerved at her sudden silence. "Carter?"

"Sir, we have a problem. I believe that anyone that has had a past history or has been associated with SG-1 is in danger."

Hank had told Jack earlier that day that there had been a problem with Cassie and his clone that had been resolved. This didn't sound resolved to Jack.

"Details?" he asked.

"As I am sure you are aware, this morning we received two independent reports from Cassie and your clone that they were being followed. We apprehended one of the men after he made a move against Daniel."

"Right. General Landry told me that there is a current investigation into the matter." He stared at the blinds that funneled the light into his office. It still was too bright. He rubbed his eyes and turned his chair away from the window. "I assume that you're working on it?"

"Yes, sir. But I just received a call from Pete." Jack waited for her to continue. "Sir, he's the fourth person today that has had an encounter with these men. If all of these agents have had access to nishta and have had some kind of link to the NID, this could be a conspiracy in the works."

"Whoa, back up, Carter. Did you say nishta?"

"Yes, sir." She sounded puzzled.

Okay, so Hank had failed to tell him that part. Frowning, Jack leaned forward in his seat, ignoring the body that had just entered his office. "And you're sure it's nishta?"

"Agent Barrett and I have just concluded a preliminary investigation of the Nishta Project over at Area 51. I spoke with a former colleague, Doctor Emerson, who was involved – probably personally – with a Joseph Owens, an ex-NID agent, who was part of the attempted attack this morning. He's currently in our custody."

"Dammit," Jack muttered. Why the hell hadn't Landry given him the specifics on this problem? "Did we get anything out of him?"

"Not to my knowledge, but I haven't been able to reach General Landry." She paused. "Sir, there's more."

"More?" Jack sighed. "How much worse can it get?"

"According to Agent Barrett, his file is classified and it looks like we would need top-level clearance to open it."

Damn. They were going through the same shit they'd gone through with Kinsey all over again.

"Sir, I am not comfortable giving you full disclosure over the phone. I'm on my way to the SGC. We can talk on a secured line and go over the details then."

"All right. Sounds like a plan."

Jack hated the way this sounded. He might not be as smart as Carter or Daniel, but Jack wasn't a fool. The fact that all of this was going down on the same day he had a meeting with the President over security matters with the international community was no fluke.

There was more to this threat than what Carter had just told him. He knew it. And if Carter was implying what he thought she was implying…

"Be careful," he told her. "Call me once you get secure."

"Yes, sir."

Jack hung up the phone, pausing to consider his options. If Carter was right and anyone that had connections to SG-1 were in trouble, then they had to get moving and find them. Whoever was behind this already had a huge jumpstart. Failure was just not acceptable for Jack.

"General?"

"That was Carter," Jack said, turning to Major Davis. "Something big is going down in Colorado."

"This is serious, I take it."

"Oh, yeah." Jack knew serious didn't even scratch the surface.

Davis glanced down at the folder in his hands. "Did you want to reschedule our meeting?"

"No." This mess with the IOA couldn't wait. Jack wasn't about to let anything get in the way of keeping the Stargate Program viable, especially with the Ori and the Goa'uld just waiting to pounce. "It's just now we have more than one agenda on the table."

"And what would that agenda be?" Davis asked.

Wouldn't Jack like to know. He held up his finger for Davis to wait before he punched the intercom on his phone. "Jean?"

"Yes, General."

"I'd like you to place a call to George Hammond. Tell him it's urgent."

"I'll do that right away, sir."

Jack released the button and breathed out. Folding his hands, he briefly scanned the file that was on his desk. He thought about Carter, Daniel, and Teal'c, wishing he were with them. But he had more important problems to tackle, issues that would affect them in the end. He knew he had to focus and be serious, even if he hated the damn paperwork. Even if he would rather be anywhere but here.

But his life wasn't about what he wanted.

Keeping his emotions in check, Jack motioned to the chair across from his desk. "Sit down, Major. We have a lot to discuss."

* * *

Daniel and Jonas walked together to the Gateroom. Daniel had to admit, the whole experience felt surreal. He'd only accompanied Jonas through the Stargate a few times and in those times he had been a different person. His life as Arrom seemed like nothing but a distant dream. Yet, it lingered and reminded him of all that he had lost and all that he had gained. 

They stopped and stood at the base of the ramp, gazing upward at the power and majesty that the Stargate held.

Daniel never thought of Gate travel that way anymore. But there was something about the way the lights of the room reflected in Jonas' eyes that brought Daniel back, made him feel like he was reliving the past, which to him was far more poignant than just a walk through nostalgia. It felt real and tangible, yet just out of his grasp.

Maybe it was the fact he was returning to Kelowna.

He didn't blame the people. In the end, it had been his decision. He knew if he were to do it all over again, he wouldn't change a thing. He doubted they would, either.

It wasn't his first time returning to the planet. But for reasons he couldn't quite explain, he felt as if it were his first time. Not just the first time he and Jonas revisited the planet together, but the very first time. The initial meeting.

He felt nervous and excited, but strangely detached.

"Doctor Jackson?" Jonas asked.

Daniel stared at the Gate a moment longer, allowing himself the opportunity to slowly withdraw from his thoughts. Daniel offered him a small smile, turning to face him. "I was just thinking about Gate travel. Do you still miss it?"

Jonas chuckled. "Every day." His smile waned, but not entirely, as he gazed at the Stargate. "Don't get me wrong. I love my planet. I love my people. But there was just something about this place." He paused, turning his back to the Gate to face Daniel. "What's it like now that Jack is gone?"

Daniel started, surprised by the question. "You know that Jack had replaced General Hammond before he was reassigned." Jonas nodded. "They all have their own distinct style and methods of handling a crisis. The same goes for Colonel Mitchell or any soldier in the SGC. They're good people," he said softly, hoping that he was easing any apprehension Jonas might be feeling.

"Yeah," Jonas said with a nod, but his eyes still held…doubt? Daniel frowned, starting to feel some apprehension of his own.

Daniel dismissed it and glanced back to the door, wondering what was taking Mitchell so long. They were on a timetable, after all.

"What do you suppose Colonel Mitchell and General Landry were talking about?" Jonas asked.

"I don't know." He slid his pack in front of him and started to search through the inside. "Probably something to do with our investigation. Or military matters."

"And they wouldn't tell you?"

Daniel paused but didn't look up. "Just because I've been here the longest doesn't mean I'm told everything." Finally, he found the book he was looking for and withdrew it. "You know how it works."

"Yeah, that's true," Jonas said. "I just thought they would let you know."

Daniel eyed him closely as he slung the pack back over his shoulder. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Me?" Jonas frowned, waving his hand to dismiss Daniel. "No." He stopped and pointed to the book. "What's that?"

Daniel feigned a smile and held up the book. "Origin."

Jonas' face fell.

"No, it's not like that. Originally, we thought if we could talk to the Priors, we could make them understand what the Ori were like." When he saw that Jonas still looked puzzled, he sighed and put the book down. "The Priors aren't completely taken over by the Ori. They're only granted certain powers through the Ori. In a sense, they are sort of like the Jaffa."

"But you're implying you couldn't reach them."

Daniel nodded. "Their faith is strong, stronger than anything we've encountered with the Jaffa. And the Ori do have power. We can't deny that." He sighed. "We've tried talking to them. I've even tried debating with them over the nature of power."

Jonas snorted. "Let me guess. They have an answer for everything."

"Not exactly." Daniel couldn't help but smile. He started to flip through some of the pages, pausing at one passage in particular. "See, the book of Origin isn't flawless in its logic. I've been reading it over the past few months and I've found countless inconsistencies. While previous attempts at communicating with them haven't worked, I'm hoping that showing the Priors the blatant contradictions within the text will cause them to reconsider whatever they have planned."

Jonas grimaced. "I don't know. What makes you think that they'll listen to you this time, if they haven't listened before?"

Daniel wished he had the answer. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to get through to the Priors. He'd tried appealing to their humanity. He'd tried debating the merits and the abuses of power and corruption. He'd tried to be more like Jack and take a direct approach. He'd tried interrogation. He'd tried everything and he could not get past their steadfast beliefs.

How could he make them see the truth?

"I don't know if they'll listen," Daniel admitted. "But I have to keep trying."

"You never give up, do you, Jackson?" Mitchell joined him, suited up and ready, and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You already know the answer to that," Daniel said with a subdued smile. He turned away from Mitchell as he heard the chevrons begin to engage.

One…two…

He wondered if Kelowna had changed much. He hadn't had the chance to really ask Jonas about how things were going – aside from the general tension he'd already mentioned – since the three governments were forced to work more closely together.

Five…six…

He wondered if the naquadria had been completely depleted and what other uses they might have found for it.

"Chervon Seven locked," he heard Walter announce just as the Stargate sprang to life.

"All right, see what you can find," General Landry said.

"Will do," Mitchell said. He motioned with his head toward the Stargate. "Ready?" he asked.

Daniel nodded and extended his hand for Jonas to lead the way. Jonas breathed out and stepped forward, walking toward the Stargate. With Daniel and Mitchell in tow, Jonas passed through the event horizon. When they emerged, Daniel was surprised to see how much everything seemed the same. The Stargate remained in the underground bunker. From what he could tell, the room was still used for covert intelligence purposes, but for what kinds of intel, he couldn't say.

Daniel slowed his pace to absorb as many details as he could. There were some guards standing inside the room, watching them, but they made no move to interact with any of them. Jonas waved to them, seeming to be perfectly at ease. Daniel took that as a good sign.

"It's just this way," Jonas said. "First Minister Dreylock is waiting in one of the next rooms." They followed Jonas up a flight of stairs and down a hallway. "We used to use this room for interrogation purposes, I'm told," he explained. "But since the war has ended, they've been transformed into conference rooms for Tiranian and Andari representatives for matters regarding the Stargate."

"Aren't they gonna be happy when they find out all this has been going on behind their backs," Mitchell said.

"Well, no matter what they think it's not going to matter much in the end if we can't get through to this Prior." Daniel tried not to sound so bleak, but in truth, he couldn't sugarcoat this situation. "I think maybe you should inform the Tiranian and Andari representatives. In the end, maybe we can all come up with a contingency plan in the event something happens."

Daniel didn't elaborate any further. He didn't have to.

"I've already given First Minister Dreylock my recommendation," Jonas said with a sigh. "Other than that, I can't force the government's hands."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "So, not much as changed at all."

"No." Jonas stopped and motioned to the right corridor. "It's right through here."

Daniel nodded and stared at the doors. Not all the Priors could be this resolute. There had to be a way to reach them. Daniel was determined to get through to one. Just one could make all the difference. Daniel took a deep breath and tapped the book against his other hand.

_Here goes nothing,_ he thought.

Following Jonas, Daniel stepped into the room, immediately noting the Prior standing in front of First Minister Dreylock and her staff.

Not one Prior. Two.

Puzzled, Daniel stared at them. He'd never seen more than one dispatched before. And Jonas hadn't told them about a second Prior.

"Daniel Jackson," the first Prior said, his voice echoing throughout the room. "You have come."

Alarmed and angry, Daniel turned to Jonas. "What's going on?" he asked Jonas, and then First Minister Dreylock.

But before either of them could offer any kind of explanation, Daniel caught a flicker of movement from a third person standing beside the Priors.

Daniel felt his stomach bottom out. "Janet?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Cameron had never known Janet Fraiser personally, but he'd gotten a good idea about what she was like from the reports he'd read while laid up in the hospital. And hanging around with Priors didn't fit the bill.

Not to mention by all accounts she was supposed to be dead.

"Is this another one of those alternate realities?" he asked.

Not that anyone was going to answer him. Jackson looked as if he'd seen a ghost. Well, technically, Cameron supposed he had. Quinn seemed stuck, as if he were trying to formulate some kind of suitable answer, while that lady named Dreylock looked guiltier than a kid who just got caught raiding the cookie jar.

And Fraiser? She looked empty. Eerily empty. Maybe the ghost bit wasn't so far off the mark.

"What the hell is this?" Jackson demanded. His focus bounced from Prior to Prior, avoiding Janet altogether before his gaze turned cold and hard. He glared at Quinn.

"There was only one Prior when I left the planet," Quinn said. "I swear, I don't know what happened."

"They arrived shortly after you left," Dreylock said quietly.

"We have been waiting for you to return to the path," the first Prior said.

Jackson wasn't listening. "Janet?" He motioned with his hand, beckoning her closer. "Janet, come with me."

She didn't move. Fraiser remained silent, a little too quiet for Mitchell's liking. He'd encountered one of her from one of those other dimensions or realities, and he had to say having a tiny little mute Fraiser freaked the hell out of him.

"Jackson," Cameron said, his voice low. "I don't think this is such a good idea. You don't know where she's been."

"I don't care," Jackson said without looking back. His gaze was solely focused on Fraiser. He walked towards her, his hand extended forward. "Janet, come here. Come with me. We'll go back to the SGC."

The second Prior stepped between them, blocking Jackson access with his staff. "The unclean shall not touch those blessed by the Ori."

"What?" Jackson's eyes flashed with anger. "Move."

Quinn shifted his weight nervously. "Uh, Daniel…"

Cameron had a feeling things were going to explode if this situation didn't get under control soon. "Hey, look, no big deal. Let's just let bygones be bygones and kick back over a —"

"And it was said that on the day of damnation, the wicked would come forth and spread their lies," the first Prior said. "But the Ori – kind of heart and pure of spirit – shall come to chastise the sinful and drive the evil from their souls."

"You flatter me," Cameron said. "Now, your Doomsday talk ain't going to get you anywhere. I think we've already established that."

"The wicked shall be vanquished," the second Prior said to Cameron. His gaze then turned outward and he addressed them all. "Follow the book of Origin and you shall be made anew, cleansed by the fire of the Ori."

"But who is one to judge the unclean than the Ori themselves? 'For when the day of judgment is at hand, the Ori shall know the wicked from the devout, the unholy from the holy, and the sinful from the chaste.'" Jackson said suddenly, taking Cameron by surprise as he read from Origin. "Just how clean are _you_?"

The Prior just chuckled. "The wicked twist the truth with their words. Their lies cannot touch the faithful."

"Daniel, I don't think it's working," Quinn said.

"The people of Kelowna will not submit to the Ori or anyone else, for that matter," Dreylock said, rising to her feet. "I ask for you to take your leave."

"The book of Origin shall be heard!" The first Prior held up his copy, showcasing it to them. "The Ori shall come and deliver the believers from the wicked!"

"Please, listen to them. They are offering all of you salvation."

Cameron turned to Fraiser, somehow not at all surprised that she was on board the Ori train. He wasn't sure how they did it, but if they'd managed to bring her back from the dead, he supposed anything was possible. That thought gave him the heebe jeebies.

"Janet," Jackson started as he took a step toward the second Prior and Fraiser. "I don't know what they've told you or what they've done to you, but you have to trust me. Come back with us. I'll show you."

The second Prior moved her away from Jackson. But for a moment, Cameron thought he saw some of that legendary spunk. Fraiser pushed away from the Prior, and though she didn't make any move to meet them, the determination was there in her eyes.

"Please, Daniel. All of you. The Priors only want to help us."

"Janet, they've brainwashed you."

"Jackson's right," Cameron said. "I don't know what they've been selling, but believe me it does _not_ come with a money-back guarantee."

"The Ori will protect us," Fraiser said.

"Yeah, the Aschen said that, too, remember?" There was a flicker of hesitation in Fraiser's eyes. Jackson edged closer. "Janet."

The Prior took her arm again, leading her farther from Jackson. She obeyed, despite what Cameron read as genuine concern in her eyes. Feeling a little uneasy, Cameron slid his finger over the trigger on his P-90, keeping a careful eye on Prior Number Two with Fraiser and Prior Number One.

He wasn't so liking how cozy Prior Number One was getting with Jackson and Quinn.

"The power of the Ori will show you the way," the first one said.

Daniel crossed his arms. "I'm thinking no."

"The Ori are your friends, Daniel Jackson," said the second.

"These would be the friends that sent a plague to Earth."

Cameron nodded. "He's got you there."

"If you were friends, you would respect us when we say we're not interested," Quinn said.

The Prior remained firm. "There are times when the evil runs so deep that only the way of light can illuminate the path to enlightenment."

Jackson shook his head. "Yeah, and let me guess. You provide that light."

"The Ori provide all. They provide peace and salvation. As they have for Janet Fraiser. As they have for Vala Mal Doran."

Cameron stiffed at that comment. He shot a worried look over at Jackson, noting that he'd paled considerably. If the Fraiser issue hadn't been bad enough…

"What?" Jackson searched the Prior's face, maybe looking for any spark of humanity that might be left inside. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"To show you the path." His lips curled into a sinister smile. "If you immediately know the candlelight is fire, then the meal was cooked a long time ago."

"What does that mean…" Cameron started to ask, but let his voice trail off when he saw the shock and horror enter Jackson's face. He turned to Quinn for help, but he seemed shaken and confused himself. Before Cameron could get a handle on what was happening, he caught Jackson reaching for his sidearm.

"Jackson!"

The Prior raised his staff and struck the ground hard. The room vibrated; there was a flash of light. Cameron blinked, trying to clear his vision and lost his balance, bumping into the table behind him. He thought he heard a humming coming from…everywhere.

He swatted the spots from his eyes, fighting to keep hold of the situation. The first thing that he saw through his limited vision was not what he wanted to see at all. The second Prior was pulling Fraiser out into the hallway.

"Hey!" he called. He swore and rubbed his eyes. He struggled to right himself while searching the room. "A little help?"

Dreylock had crashed to the floor while Quinn had stumbled and grabbed onto a chair for support. Both seemed to be battling whatever had hit him. Damn.

Yet Jackson, he remained standing, locked into what Cameron thought was some battle of wills. But when he got a closer look, he realized that wasn't the case. Jackson was literally frozen in place. Every muscle in his body had seized and locked – his head was thrown back, his eyes wide open and unmoving, his hands contorted. Cameron didn't even know if he was breathing.

Grunting, Cameron pushed himself off the table and lunged for the Prior and Jackson. Jackson's body was starting to shake, his muscles twitching from the strain. Cameron knew that as long as the Prior held that staff, they were helpless. But even so, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing while Jackson was at the mercy of the Prior's power. Unlocking the safety on his gun, he aimed and fired.

The preoccupied Prior hadn't counted on Cameron firing this time. He convulsed as the bullets riddled his body before he collapsed to the ground. Though, before Cameron could do anything to restrain him, the Prior burst into a wall of flame and vanished into thin air.

Jackson let out a strangled gasp and crumbled to the ground. Cameron moved to his side, hovering over him to check his breathing. Thankfully, he had a pulse and his breathing was normal. Unfortunately, that was all that seemed to be there. Jackson's eyes were open but nobody was home.

Quinn rushed over to the two of them and knelt beside them. "Is he okay?"

"I'll take care of Jackson. We lost a Prior and Fraiser."

Quinn's eyes widened. "The Stargate."

"Go."

Jonas Quinn leapt over one of the over turned chairs and was out of the room in a flash. Cameron peeked around the table to see that Dreylock was getting to her feet, but he couldn't worry about her right now.

"Jackson," he said, giving him a light tap to the cheek. His whole body was unnaturally limp, his unfocused eyes staring outward to some place Cameron couldn't see. "Jackson! Get up, Jackson!

He wasn't going to move, Cameron realized. He set his jaw and tried to clear his head. He couldn't panic. He couldn't loose his cool. He couldn't think of what happened to the Sodan.

He pounded his fist angrily on his thigh before he turned to the First Minister. "Get down to the Stargate and call the SGC. We need a medical team here. Now."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sam hadn't finished suiting up when the klaxons started to blare. She swore, quickly snapping the hazmat helmet in place before she attempted to run down the corridor. Movement was tough. But as much as she hated these suits, if they would allow her in the Gateroom, she would deal with the discomfort.

Sam reached the door and slid her access card through the card reader. After a snap and a pop, the door opened, granting her access to the inside. Carefully, Sam entered and waited by the side of the medical staff.

To say she was nervous was an understatement. She and Barrett hadn't been at the SGC fifteen minutes when they'd received Kelowna's plea for help.

She stared at the Stargate, watching the iris withdraw. The Gate sprung to life, flooding the room with its light.

Sam waited. She shifted her weight from leg to leg. She twisted her fingers.

The medical team that had been sent to Kelowna poured through the event horizon. After they passed through the decontamination field, the group thundered down the ramp on their way to the exit. They streaked into a blur of color as they stormed down the hallways of the SGC toward the infirmary. Sam bounded after them, struggling to push through so she could get a glimpse at the enclosed stretcher.

They rounded the corner, heading to one of the large isolation rooms. Outside, Sam could see another group of medical assistants finishing up work on a small decontamination unit outside the door. The problem must be a serious one in order to warrant two units.

Her stomach flopped.

By now, Sam had managed to squeeze between two of the people that were pushing the stretcher along and slip beside the sealed container. She pressed her gloved hand to the glass.

"Daniel."

The sight was frightening. Daniel stared upward but there was no recognition in his eyes. No matter how many times she tapped at the plastic or called his name, he didn't seem to hear her. The only small comfort she received was the fact she could see him breathing.

"Daniel, it's Sam," she said, her voice muffled from her protective clothing. His whole body remained unmoving, only bobbing occasionally from the sharp, jerky movements of the stretcher as he was carried to the isolation room. "Daniel, can you hear me?"

"Get him over here," Sam heard Doctor Lam call. Lam had managed to push her way to the opposite side of the stretcher. She leaned over and studied him quickly before darting away and running to the isolation room's entrance. "Hurry and set him up in here!"

Sam found herself dislodged from the stretcher as the medical team rushed him inside the room. From where she stood, she could see that the chamber had already been fitted with medical equipment, even if it was hastily done. Sam followed them inside.

"Colonel, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Lam said bluntly. "We have a lot of work to do in determining what is wrong with him and if he is carrying a contagion."

Sam raised her hand and opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't. She wanted to say something – anything – useful, but she couldn't find any of the right things to say. A field medic wasn't even close to a medical doctor. She knew she would only take up space, but she wanted to be with Daniel just the same.

She found herself fading into the background, watching helplessly as they prepared to open the enclosed stretcher and seal the room. She allowed herself one last look before she finally stepped out into the hall and into the sanitization area.

"Before you can leave, ma'am, you'll need to pass through here," one of the technicians told her.

She nodded, though Sam wasn't really paying attention. She could only stare at the doors as they were locked in front of her.

"Yo, Sam!"

Sam turned, relieved to hear Cameron's voice. He had just entered the decontamination area, fully clothed in hazmat protective gear. There was another person with him.

"Jonas?" she asked. As he came closer, she confirmed that it was him. "Thank God you're both okay."

"Oh, not so sure about that," Cameron said.

Sam stiffened. "What?"

"We're wearing these suits to protect you, not us," Jonas said.

"What happened exactly?" she asked. All she knew at this point was that Daniel and Cameron had encountered a Prior on Kelowna.

"You remember that story Teal'c told us about what happened to the Sodan?" Cameron said, his expression unreadable beneath the suit.

Cameron really didn't need to elaborate. Sam had been horrified when she had heard what had happened to Volnek and how he had turned against the Sodan. What was worse was that he had long ceased to be himself when it happened.

The thought that the same fate could fall upon Daniel or even Cameron or Jonas was too much to take. She couldn't just stand by and let that happen.

"Daniel's condition is different. According to Teal'c, Volnek was fine for several days until he became ill. Daniel is unresponsive." That worked for Sam. The difference could be enough. "Whatever is happening to Daniel is not what happened to the Sodan."

"I agree with you. You know I do," Cameron said. "But they're taking whatever precautions they can. That Prior did something to him and whatever it is, I bet you it ain't gonna be pretty."

She shook her head and looked away. She refused to believe that. Not after all they had been through all these years. It wasn't fair. Not now.

"What about you?" she asked the two of them.

"Well, worse case scenario is that we turn into zombies, too," Cameron said with a forced smile. "Or, we could be carrying a new kind of plague."

"Or something entirely different," Jonas added.

"Great." Sam sighed.

"We're being set up in the rooms right beside Doctor Jackson so that they can run some tests," Jonas told her, pointing vaguely ahead. "But we wanted to talk to you first."

Sam searched them both, again finding their expressions difficult to read behind the protective plastic. "What is it?"

Cameron's eyes darkened. "We were set up. They knew to go to Kelowna. They knew we were coming. And they seemed hell bent on Jackson."

Sam didn't know what to say. The Ori, the Priors, and Daniel had been at odds from the start, having been part of the initial confrontation. While Sam didn't like the idea of the Ori's interest in Daniel, the conflict at least made sense to her. And despite the fact they knew that the Ori had powers that surpassed gimmicks and technological trickery, they also knew that they weren't infallible. The only logical explanation was that the Ori knew of Daniel's connection to Kelowna and figured he would be the one to come to their aid. But how they knew personal details about Daniel's life, she wasn't sure.

"There has to be a spy," Sam said. "Someone is feeding the Ori this information."

She caught the uneasy look that Jonas and Cameron gave each other. Sam felt that queasy feeling come back. "What's really going on?"

"That's not all," Jonas said.

"Sam, there's no easy way to say this, but it looks like somehow the Ori have managed to get to Fraiser," Cameron said.

Sam frowned. That didn't make sense. "Cassandra?" she asked.

Cameron and Jonas exchanged another uneasy look. "No…we're talking about Doctor Fraiser," Jonas said quietly.

At first, Sam thought he was joking. But there was no humor in Jonas' voice. When she appealed to Cameron for an explanation, he held that same sad but sympathetic expression.

And then, it hit her.

She stumbled back, feeling the strength leave her body. Cameron grabbed her by the arm and steadied her, moving her to one of the makeshift walls inside the decontamination unit. Jonas joined him. The two of them held her as her body evened out and returned to normal. Sam took a deep breath.

"Janet's alive," she managed to say.

Jonas nodded. "She's alive and she seems fine, but she's with the Priors."

"She's on a tight leash," Cameron said. "Jackson said that he saw a Prior bring Vala back to life. It doesn't stand to reason they couldn't do it to Fraiser, right?"

"Janet died in the line of duty two years ago." Sam said. "From what Daniel told us, Vala's resurrection happened immediately after."

"But it could happen, right?" Jonas asked. "I mean, these are the Ori. They do have power."

Sam nodded. And as much as the thought of Janet being alive brought Sam some hope, the idea that she could be a traitor to the Ori stung more deeply than any wound she'd received in battle.

"Jackson thinks she's been brainwashed," Cameron told her, as if reading her mind. "I think he was starting to get to her when the Prior went into destructo-mode."

"What happened to her?"

Cameron sighed. "A Prior grabbed her and they escaped through the Stargate while the other one did a number on Jackson."

_That was it_, Sam thought, looking down. Even if they had any hope of trying to reach Janet, there was no way they could now. She could be anywhere.

"So, we have no way to find her," Sam stated more than asked. Cameron and Jonas exchanged another pointed look.

"Not exactly," Jonas said.

Sam was tired of this game. "What do you mean?"

Cameron smiled and flicked his wrist at Jonas. "We got the coordinates."

* * *

"So, explain to me again why you think this is a good idea?" Hank asked. 

Colonel Carter glanced down at the Gate coordinates in her hands before sliding them over to Hank. "If she really is Janet, we have a duty to rescue her. At the very least, she could be giving the Ori valuable information about the SGC and Earth's defenses. We need to go after her."

Hank stared at the coordinates in front of him. This whole scenario stank. He'd encountered situations that were nearly the same during his European tours of duty. Hank doubted the Ori wouldn't do the same.

"We don't know that she is really Janet Fraiser, do we?" Hank asked.

Carter's gaze wavered. "No, we can't be certain she's the real Doctor Fraiser."

"This base isn't new to having imposters come through the Stargate." Hank turned to Barrett. "Or outside the base, for that matter."

"No, General," Barrett said. "And I agree that this is a potential risk I am not sure the SGC should take." He glanced at Carter before continuing. "However, the SGC doesn't fall under NID jurisdiction. I'm curious as to why you've allowed me to sit in on this matter."

"The official answer to that question is the President's insistence that the SGC and NID work more closely together." Hank smiled. "The truth is that aside from SG-1 and a few individuals like Major Davis and Generals Hammond and O'Neill, you've had the most experience dealing with impersonators and alien incursion. The most recent being the Goa'uld infiltration of Colonel Caldwell on the Daedelus."

Barrett considered what he said and nodded, leaning forward in his seat. "And you're looking for another opinion on this situation?"

"Or an opinion from someone that isn't emotionally attached," Carter said, her voice even.

Hank kept his face neutral. He knew that the attack on Cassandra Fraiser and O'Neill's clone had shaken her, only to be complicated by Doctor Jackson's state. Now, she had to contend with a dead friend as a possible traitor. The whole day was a bizarre one. Most people would have buckled under the pressure long ago. Colonel Carter had a strong character, but he couldn't underestimate a person's emotions in a situation like this.

"That's right," Hank finally said. "I know how close you and Janet Fraiser were. I don't doubt your dedication to the program, Colonel. But I also know that many of your decisions in regard to this matter will be influenced by your attachments, whether consciously or subconsciously."

Carter and Barrett stared at him.

"I was a psychology major back in the day," he said with a knowing smile.

"Are you suggesting we do nothing?" Carter asked.

Hank didn't miss the challenge in her tone. "Of course not. But we have limited resources as it is. I have to make sure this is something the SGC is capable of undertaking. With a potential Ori attack on the horizon, we've got to make sure we're prepared. I'm sure General Hammond and even General O'Neill would have done the same."

Carter nodded, but Hank could tell she wasn't happy. He turned his head to Agent Barrett.

He took the cue. "While I agree that sending your resources off-world to locate one person who might not even be Janet Fraiser is a risk that I don't favor…" He paused long enough to give Colonel Carter a pointed look. "I believe that whoever this person is could hold vital information that could aid the President, the NID, and the SGC in dealing with the Ori swiftly and effectively."

Hank nodded. "I see. And how would the NID use this information?"

"Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty, General," Barrett said. "But I can assure you that the NID would never hurt anyone who is just a pawn in this scheme."

Hank nodded again and brought his folded hands to his lips. The whole thing still sounded like a trap to him. But he'd already made his decision before he'd called the meeting.

"If we were to entertain the idea of a rescue and extraction, it would be a large and costly project. And I'm not just talking in monetary value."

"I understand," Carter said. "But I'm confident enough people will volunteer for the mission."

_Without a doubt,_ he thought. But aside from the problem with Fraiser and Doctor Jackson, he still had to deal with the attack this morning. "We'll continue to discuss this later," Hank said. "But right now, we still have to address this issue with Joseph Owens and the Nishta Project. Now, before the Kelownans contacted us, the two of you were telling me about a plot you believe you've uncovered?"

"Yes, sir," Carter said. "General, we have reason to believe that whoever is behind the attack today is targeting people who have been in contact with SG-1."

"How do you know for sure?" Hank asked.

"I don't. But so far, Cassandra, General O'Neill's clone, and Pete Shanahan have been pursued by individuals with the same MO."

"Not to mention that these people seem to have top-level clearance," Barrett added.

Hank raised his eyebrows at that one. "How do you know?"

Carter sighed. "Apparently, Joseph Owens was working under a presidential order after he got involved with the Nishta Project."

"If we're to believe Doctor Emerson," Barrett said, glancing at both of them.

Hank didn't like this. Ex-NID agents working under presidential orders to formulate mind-control drugs? It just didn't seem like Hayes style. Though the possibility that President Hayes was doing something sneaky and underhanded sounded much more appealing than the alternative.

"Any indication we could be talking about the Trust? Ba'al?"

"We haven't found any indication of a connection," Barrett said. "Not yet."

"Well, get on it. I have a temporary office set up for you here at the SGC so that we can get to the bottom of this." Hank turned to Carter. "You said that you'd found something?"

She nodded. "Possibly. Before we left, Doctor Emerson gave me a vial. I've sent it to the labs for study. She's been working on a possible antidote for those that are under the influence of the nishta and I believe this might be the key."

"Which also means this Doctor Emerson feels under pressure." Hank sighed. He was beginning to believe this plot went much deeper than he'd thought. "Colonel, I want you—"

"General Landry?"

Hank turned to see Walter hovering by the door. "Yes?"

"I have General O'Neill on the line for you," he said with a sigh.

"I'll be right there." He rose to his feet and Colonel Carter stood to match him. "See that Agent Barrett is set and ready to go."

"Sir, what about the civilians that have encountered us?" Carter asked. "They could be in danger."

Hank frowned. If Carter was right and the NID or Trust was targeting people that knew members of SG-1, then dozens of people's lives were in danger. And to what end? Hank couldn't tease out a fully planned plot at this point, but he knew there was more going on than he'd initially thought.

"Let's get them secured," Hank told her as he moved toward his office. "While Agent Barrett works on whatever connections this Owens person has with the government, I want you to reach out to local agencies to round up anyone who has had contact with SG-1 in the last ten years or so."

She fidgeted and went to open her mouth, but he shook his head. "Your family will be fine. Do what you need to do to get them to a safe place. And I'll keep you up to speed on Daniel's condition."

Hank left them in the briefing room and moved to his phone, noting that Walter had already transferred Jack to his line. He had no idea why Jack kept calling Walter.

"Landry," he said, picking up the phone.

"Ah, Hank. Just the man I wanted to see…or phone."

He couldn't help but smile, despite the circumstance. "Always a pleasure, Jack. What can I do for you?"

"Well, it appears that your reports haven't been entirely accurate."

"You would know about that, wouldn't you?"

"Funny." There was a pause and the silence between them took on a serious tone. "Hank, what the hell is going on over there?

Hank sighed. He knew this conversation was bound to happen sooner or later. "You placed me in charge of the SGC because you trust me and because of my impeccable record."

"I put you in charge of the SGC because I thought it would be a nice, easy assignment," Jack said.

"Who are you kidding?" Hank said with a chuckle. "You're full of it."

"Maybe," he said. "But seriously, what's going on there?"

"I didn't want to start making generalizations and accusations until I had enough information. But the truth is, Jack, I don't feel comfortable in going into detail over the phone."

"I spoke to Carter earlier. She was supposed to set up a secure line so we could discuss matters." Another pause. "Something happened."

Hank sighed and sank into his chair. He knew that Colonel Carter had contacted Jack while he had been tied up, but they hadn't had a chance to discuss everything before the call from Kelowna had come through the Stargate.

"You're aware of the incident with Pete Shanahan?" Hank asked.

"Oh yeah. I agree with Carter on this one. I called George and he's using his connections to get people moved."

"Good. I have Colonel Carter working on the same down this end. The two of them should coordinate their efforts." He rubbed his forehead, glancing down at the file on his desk for a brief respite. "Where are they being relocated?"

When Jack did nothing but clear his throat, Hank knew exactly what Jack meant. He'd known him long enough.

"The upper levels of Cheyenne Mountain have extra space," Jack said.

Which was true. But Hank wasn't sure Cheyenne Mountain was the best place for these people.

"I know what you're thinking, Hank. But I don't trust sending these people anywhere else. I know you can keep an eye on things."

"I'll make the arrangements."

"So, what happened? Or can you not tell me that either?"

Hank bowed his head and rubbed his eyes. He must have been silent for longer than he'd thought. He heard a frustrated sigh from Jack.

"Whatever. Look, change of plans. Keep your people working on finding me something to present to the IOA and the President. In the meantime, I need you to send Daniel to D.C. I want him to work with Davis on drafting some kind of plea to stall for time. He's great at groveling. Plus, he'll be able to fill me in on everything that's happened in person."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Hank said, lowering his voice. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to break the news to Jack.

"What?"

"Jack, there was an incident on Kelowna earlier today. Colonel Mitchell and Doctor Jackson encountered a Prior. The Prior did something – we're not sure what. Daniel's been unresponsive since."

Hank waited for the silence to clear on the other end. An angry, bitter silence.

"What the hell were they doing on Kelowna?"

"Jonas Quinn came through the Stargate looking for help. We were hoping to find something for you to bring to the IOA." Hank shook his head. "We believe it was a set up from the start."

"Dammit." Jack sighed. "Are Mitchell and Jonas all right?"

"They're in quarantine right now. First Minister Dreylock is under surveillance on Langara."

"You said this was a set up?" His voice was tense, impatient.

Hank exhaled. He didn't even know how to begin. He might as well just get to the heart of the matter.

"A woman that looks like Janet Fraiser was with the Priors."

A pause. "Excuse me?"

"According to Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn, Doctor Fraiser is alive and with the Priors."

"Fraiser?" Jack asked. "As in dead Fraiser?"

"Or not so dead," Hank said. "We haven't confirmed it was her. I've read your reports. One can never be too careful."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time someone at the SGC has come back from the dead," Jack muttered. "What are you planning to do about it?"

Hank raised his eyebrows over that comment. A test? Hank figured Jack was pushing him, trying to feel out whether he would make the right call.

"I'm sending a team to extract her."

"Coordinates?"

"Jonas Quinn managed to see them before the Prior and Fraiser disappeared through the Stargate."

"Sounds like a trap."

"I'm sure it is," Hank said. "It's a risk we're willing to take."

"Hank," Jack said evenly. "This isn't just any mission. You're going to need someone with experience to carry off a covert search and rescue of this nature."

"We've pulled them off in the past." Hank smiled. "Why? Do you have someone in mind?"

"I might."

He chuckled. "I'm sure you do."

Hank could imagine the smirk on Jack's face. "I have a few things I need to handle," Jack said. "Keep me informed."

"I will." Hank heard the line click. Sighing, he placed the phone down and glanced ahead, catching Carolyn outside his door. Noting her hesitation, he waved her in and offered her a seat.

She remained standing.

"What is it, Carolyn?"

"I wanted to give you my report on Daniel," she said. "There's been no change in his condition, but we're monitoring him in case he exhibits any of the same symptoms that Volnek did."

Hank nodded. No news was good news. "And Mitchell and Mr. Quinn?"

She sighed and dug her hands deeper into her pockets. "They're still under quarantine. So far, all their tests come back perfectly normal."

"Volnek seemed fine at first, too."

"Which I'm aware of," Carolyn said. "I have the situation under control."

Hank gave her a half nod. It wasn't that he doubted her. He just didn't trust the Ori.

"Keep me informed of their conditions," he said quietly.

"You know I will." She frowned as he rose from his desk. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Contacting the Jaffa," Hank said, walking with her out of his office. "Teal'c is going to want to know what's going on."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"And this, my brother, is why we as a people cannot afford to bond with others."

Teal'c heard Roa'tac's words, but he did not listen to them. To believe in such foolish thoughts would lead the Jaffa to nothing but ruin. If they were to become a great nation, not only did they need to learn to thrive on their own, but also with others.

"You seem displeased, Teal'c," Roa'tac said.

"To turn our backs on our allies and to withdraw onto ourselves is cowardly," Teal'c said, his voice low. "Is this how you wish for the Jaffa to be remembered?

"You see freedom as cowardice?" Roa'tac asked.

"Freedom is not isolation," Bra'tac said.

"What would you have us do, Teal'c?' Roa'tac smiled, the challenge gleaming in his eyes. "Have the Tau'ri become our new masters? You wish to draw us into another long war with an enemy who is not ours but one of the humans?"

"The Ori are a threat to every Jaffa." Teal'c said. He pushed down the anger, struggling to keep his voice controlled. "This is not a problem for the Tau'ri alone. I do not wish for our hard work to be taken from us. Do you wish this, Roa'tac?"

He chuckled. "You know that in my heart I have always wanted freedom for the Jaffa. I find it suspect that after many years of battle against the Goa'uld that you now do not wish us the freedom to live in peace. Your words of passion and choice have turned into caution and uncertainty." He stopped and glared at Teal'c. "You may be no better than Gerak in the power that you seek."

"Lies," Teal'c said, standing. He narrowed his eyes, pushing his will to break through Roa'tac's insincere façade. "I seek nothing from the High Council. Nor do I seek it from the Jaffa. All I wish is for the Jaffa to become a great nation, a nation that is deserving of our people."

"A nation in your image?" Roa'tac asked. "Or that of the Tau'ri?"

"You are a kak'tel!" Bra'tac shouted as he rose to his feet.

"Teal'c, Bra'tac, Roa'tac, there is no need for such words," Ta'nauc said. She motioned for them to sit. "We may not agree, but pettiness among ourselves will get us nowhere."

"It is unnecessary to question the loyalty of Teal'c," Ka'lel said. "And his Tau'ri friends have proven themselves many a time." With a sigh, her voice quieted and she turned to Teal'c. "But it is true that their ways do not fit with our own. They have provided us with very little technology or resources aside from what they choose and choose alone. How can we work with the Tau'ri as long as they continue to have power over us?"

Teal'c found he had no way to answer such a charge. The difference in power had been an issue long argued by the Jaffa and the Tau'ri, one he could not see changing anytime near into the future. During his early days with the Tau'ri, things had appeared simple to Teal'c. He had fought for freedom. He had destroyed his enemy. And when the day came, he would rejoin his people and taste the spoils of their victory; he would taste their freedom. Time had changed Teal'c's perspective. He knew he could no longer afford to view life as simply as he once did. His loyalties were split; he could see the arguments of both sides and agree with them in turn.

How was he supposed to proceed?

Teal'c sighed to himself. When he looked over to Bra'tac, his spirit fell. Deep in his heart he had come to agree with the rest of the Council.

"Perhaps we should discuss other matters," Bra'tac said. His gaze lingered on Teal'c's face briefly before he turned to address the rest of the High Council. "There is the matter of protecting our people from the addictions of kassa…"

"Teal'c!"

Teal'c turned his head at the sound of Rak'nor's voice. His fellow friend and Jaffa appeared to be ill at ease. Teal'c could see it was not from interrupting the High Council alone.

"Is there something that troubles you?" Ka'lel asked.

Rak'nor stood a little taller, but the hesitation remained in his eyes. "Teal'c, I have something of importance to tell you."

Rak'nor wished to speak privately. Teal'c could read it his posture and in his face. Quietly, Teal'c stood and began to move to meet him.

"I believe that whatever news Rak'nor has to share may be shared among us all," Roa'tac said.

Teal'c set his jaw, but did not speak. For despite his dislike of Roa'tac, he had learned that speaking out did not always produce the desired result. He glanced back to Bra'tac who nodded in confirmation. Teal'c gave him a near imperceptible bow and stopped, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Please continue," he told Rak'nor.

Rak'nor glanced at the High Council before he conceded with a nod. "Teal'c, we have just received word from your friends among the Tau'ri. Daniel Jackson has fallen ill."

Teal'c remained silent, feeling a tightening in his stomach. He did not want to consider the reasons as to why his friend had fallen ill. However, Teal'c knew that if General Landry felt the need to inform him of Daniel Jackson's condition the situation must be grave indeed.

He turned his back to the High Council. "I must depart."

"You would value the life of a human over that of your fellow Jaffa?"

Teal'c froze, feeling the anger swell inside of him as his jaw trembled. He glanced over his shoulder and pivoted his body so that he could find Roa'tac.

Teal'c glared at him, but kept his voice steady. "I have learned to value life for the sake of life. Perhaps you should as well."

Teal'c bowed while fighting to hold back the smile that urged to spread across his face. Catching the satisfaction in the eyes of his old master gave him the confidence and the security to let things be. Without another word, Teal'c left the Council chambers and made his way to the Stargate.

* * *

"Please tell me you're here to let me out." 

When General Landry didn't respond right away, Cameron knew that wasn't good news. He sighed, leaning against the wall, and stared at the ceiling.

Well, Mama always said there would be days like this.

"We're just proceeding with caution," Landry said, his voice broken and warped through the intercom. "I can't run the risk of either you or Mr. Quinn spreading a contagion through the base and onto the surface."

"Or turning all psycho," Cameron mumbled. He punched the button on the intercom system. "So, what's the status on Jackson?"

"The same. I'm waiting for additional test results on him from the medical staff."

"And me? Quinn?"

"Normal," said the disembodied voice. "From what I've been told, there are no abnormalities in your system."

"But you can't let us out because of what happened to Volnek," Cameron said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but we don't know what the Prior could have done to any of you."

"What are we talking about? Days?" Cameron's face fell. "Weeks?"

"As long as it takes."

Cameron knocked the back of his head onto the wall. This didn't jive well at all. While they were stuck in here, the Ori could be planning something big. Hell, the Ori could be moving forward on their big ol'plan while he and the rest of SG-1 sat here and did nothing.

Cameron frowned. As he turned toward the door, he hit the intercom button again. "General, what's our intel say again about when this Doomsday plot is gonna hit?"

"Anywhere between the next few days and the next couple of weeks." There was a pause. "I'll be back."

Landry's footsteps faded as he marched down the corridor, leaving Cameron along once again. He shook his head and glared at the concrete walls.

Right on the money.

* * *

Sam kept her pace brisk but even as she walked into the storage areas of upper Cheyenne Mountain. After all the cutbacks, many of the resources related to the SGC and beyond had been scraped, leaving empty vacant lots throughout the complex. 

She would have never thought they would become useful.

"Colonel Samantha Carter," she said, showing her identification to the clerk. She glanced at two airmen that were stationed outside one of the rooms. "It's all right. I've been expecting him."

The officer nodded. Pete was escorted out of one of the holding areas and brought before her.

Sam exhaled slowly. He didn't look any different. Pete still held the same youthful appearance, the same open and trusting expression. Only the humor had long left his eyes.

She couldn't think about that now.

Sam waved Pete closer and with a small nod she let the guards know it was okay to release him into her care. She beckoned Pete forward. The two of them started to walk down one of the many corridors that led to additional holding rooms.

"So…"

"I'm sorry I was abrupt," Sam said. She stole a quick glance in his direction before returning to gaze ahead.

"You could have just told me," he said.

"I didn't know what to say." Sam sighed. She could refit alien spaceships. She could recalibrate the entire Gate system. She could bypass alien controls. But she couldn't handle…this. "I never know what to say," she said softly.

She felt his hand on her back – the ghost of a touch from his fingers. He withdrew and sighed. "So, what's going on? Another hostile alien takeover?" he asked with a chuckle.

Sam pursed her lips. "As a matter of fact, yes."

Pete blinked. "What?"

"I can't get into the specifics with you. You know the classified nature of my work," she said, hiding him down another hallway. "But we've received some information that I felt was important enough to bring you here."

"You said I was in danger," Pete said. "What do aliens want with me?"

Sam paused in front of one of the rooms and lowered her voice. "Not aliens this time, Pete. But I believe that anyone who has ever had any contact with me or anyone else from SG-1 could be in danger."

Pete frowned and shook his head. "Well, if it's not aliens, then who?"

"The government."

He laughed, causing her indignation to flare. "Sam, I know you deal with some pretty heavy stuff, but conspiracy theories are not your—"

"Samantha Carter?"

Sam turned at the sound of her name, feeling both surprised and uneasy from the sight of former foe. "Hello, Ms. Gardner."

Sarah hadn't changed much from the last time Sam had seen her. But then again, Sam didn't have much to go on. According to Daniel, she'd changed a great deal and no longer held – what he called – her drive to live life to its fullest. Something had been taken from her. And in that respect, Sam could relate to her.

"What is going on?" she asked, motioning to Sergeant Siler. "Is there a problem?"

"We're taking precautions with anyone who has contact with us over the years." She noticed Pete step closer, hovering protectively by her side. "I can't discuss the matter with you, but I can assure you that you'll be provided for while you're here."

"Where's Daniel?" she asked, the ghost of Osiris flickering in her tired eyes. "I'd very much like to see him."

Sam forced a small smile, hoping that her discomfort didn't poke through. "I'm sorry but he's busy right now."

"Something's happening, isn't it?" she asked. Sam saw the suspicion wash over her face. It turned to concern.

"We have everything under control right now." Sam glanced upward, frowning when she saw Colonel Dixon bring a charge of new people around the corner. "Ms. Gardner, I'm sorry I can't talk right now," She pointed to the room in front of them with her hand, and smiled apologetically to both Sarah and Pete. "I'm also sorry that many of you will be sharing some space together. You'll have full furnishings and anything you need."

Pete shot a disgusted look over at Sarah before he stared at Sam. "How long are we going to be here?"

"I don't know. I really can't answer that." She lowered her voice and stepped closer to Pete. "Please understand that she has been through a lot. Whatever happened before you know isn't her fault. We talked about this." She rubbed his arm. "I can move you as soon as Mark and the family is settled in."

"No, it's okay," he said. "They'll just ask me a bunch of questions I can't answer. But they're okay?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Look, Sam. All those things I said…"

Sam looked away, clearing her throat while fighting to keep her pain sadness at bay. "No, Pete. We – I've changed. I know when I've made a mistake and I know when I've been wrong. Let's just put that behind us."

"Yeah." He looked down, pausing before grabbing her hand. He squeezed it gently. "Be careful, okay?"

She blinked away the tears. "I will."

"Hug for old times sake?" he asked, the hope shining in his eyes.

She smiled again and this time it felt real. Without another word to him, she drew him into a hug and released any of the residual pain and longing that she felt. Quietly, she stepped back and let go of the man that helped her find where she belonged.

She could never thank him enough for that.

"You-you will tell Daniel that I am here?" Sam heard Sarah say.

Sam had nearly forgotten Sarah was with them. When she turned around, she realized that Sarah was watching them, her face lined with pain and sympathy, as if she understood.

"When Daniel is available, I'll let him know," she promised. "But now, I'm sorry that I have to go."

Her grimace barely made it into a smile before she walked away from the two of them. Behind her, she could hear some airmen setting them up in their room. Sam wiped her eyes and breathed out, summoning her inner strength as she met Dixon.

"Colonel," she said. She nudged her chin to the list in his hands. "Are these our people?"

"Yup. They're piling up like hotcakes." He glared at her, but there was a playful spark in his eyes. "I didn't realize I'd be getting babysitting duty."

"You should be a pro," she said, grinning. When he rolled his eyes, she chuckled and patted his back. But when a couple of names shot out to her on the list, her attitude changed and she became serious again. "Is your family all right?"

"There've already been relocated here. Most of the major base personnel with family have been taken care of first." He flipped the page and sighed. "This is why I hate politics. Nothing but dirty, lying cheats."

"At least in the military you know your chain of command."

"Damn straight, you do." He stopped and tapped at the page. "I got those reporter friends of yours isolated in a different compartment. Little Miss Yippie keeps asking for you while that Bregman guy is demanding to see Doctor Jackson."

Sam shook her head. That was the last thing they needed right now. "They can deal with it," she said. "Anyone else?"

"How about a whole lot of else? I've got people bringing in a Doctor Raynor from Chicago. Some young guy named Loren. Some homeless man asking if this has anything to do with Ma'chello. Oh, and there are some ladies asking for Teal'c." He paused, sending her a sly smirk. "What's Teal'c got with Earth gals, anyway?"

Sam chuckled. "He's Teal'c."

She could see them from where she stood. She remembered Krista, the frightened neighbor that had lived beside Teal'c. She also recognized a variety of other people she had seen in the apartment building when they had helped move Teal'c into his own place. One of the young women she didn't recognize. She was a teenager, possibly Cassie's age. In fact, she looked a lot like Cassie. Sam figured it had to be that girl Ally whom Teal'c had adored so much.

"Just how many people are we bringing in here?" Dixon asked. "Everyone ever?"

Sam shook her head. "No. Just people that we have reason to believe could be used against us or could be potential targets."

"All right. I'll get these people processed." He shoved the list under his arm and looked over to the group of people being signed into the facility.

Sam watched him go, vaguely interested as the people filed into the corridors of the SGC. She felt detached, as if it were all some dream. She supposed she was just worried about her friends.

"Colonel Carter!"

Sam turned, surprised to find Teal'c walking toward her. "I thought you—"

"I have returned from Dakara," he stated. "What of Daniel Jackson?"

"Still nothing," she said. Sighing, Sam ran her fingers through her hair. "Weren't you in the middle of a Council meeting?"

"I was, but it is of little importance," he said quietly. Sam noticed his gaze shift to somewhere behind her. "What has happened?"

"General O'Neill and General Landry have ordered anyone who has had prior contact with SG-1 to be taken in protective custody," she said. She paused, trying to choose her words carefully. "We think there is a nishta threat."

Sam remained quiet, gauging Teal'c's reaction. His eyes darkened; his jaw stiffened.

"I know," she said. "If I had know something like this would have happened, I would never have agreed to help with the project. I'm sorry."

"It is not you're doing," he said coolly.

"I know, but—"

"Murray!

Teal'c dipped his head and looked away. If she hadn't been paying attention, she would have missed the near imperceptible roll of Teal'c's eyes.

"Welcome, Martin Lloyd," Teal'c said as the small alien came rushing to his side.

"What's going on? Are we in trouble? Is it the Goa'uld? Where's Colonel O'Neill?"

Sam blocked out Martin's annoying barrage of questions, her gaze falling back to where Pete had been situated. He'd been in danger. They weren't even together anymore and he'd still fallen prey to the curse that seemed to follow her around.

She shook her head. She couldn't think like that.

"Colonel?" Major Hadden asked, walking to join her. "Where do you want us to send him?" He pointed to Martin.

"Are there any available rooms left?" she asked.

"We're staying here?" Martin asked as he adjusted his glasses. "What-what if something happens and there's a foothold situation and—"

"Perhaps he can share a room with O'Neill," Teal'c said. He arched his eyebrow, his eyes gleaming.

Sam bit her lip, struggling to hide the grin that threatened to break across her face. Locking General O'Neill's clone alone with Martin Lloyd was a recipe for disaster. She tried not to feel too guilty over how much she enjoyed the idea.

"No, Teal'c. I think we can arrange other accommodations." She nodded to Hadden. "Thank you, Major."

Hadden stepped forward and guided Martin away from Sam and Teal'c. Martin jerked with surprise before he reached out toward Teal'c. "Wait! Murray!"

Sam and Teal'c walked down the corridor, expanding the distance between the processing area and themselves. Sam took the opportunity to pull Teal'c closer, rubbing his arm as she lowered her voice. "Something else is bothering you," she said softly.

"It is not important." Teal'c refused to make eye contact with her. Sam hated that even after all this time Teal'c still had a hard time opening up to them. "Tell me the status of Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn," he said.

Sam sighed. "They're in quarantine. We're taking every precaution on account of what happened to Volnek."

"General Landry suspects that the Prior may have changed them," Teal'c said, his voice dipping.

Sam tried to offer her most supportive smile. "We don't have any evidence that there is anything wrong with them. It's just a precaution."

"Colonel, Teal'c. I'm glad I found you."

Sam and Teal'c stopped talking, waiting for General Landry to continue as he approached them.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"I want both of your opinions on our current situation. Come with me to the infirmary. Doctor Lam is waiting for us."

"Have you discovered something of importance?" Teal'c asked. They began to walk with Landry toward the elevator.

General Landry nodded. "We might have." Landry slid his card through the reader. "How go your efforts with coordinating the relocation of the civilians?"

"I've spoken to General Hammond. Between our efforts with Agent Barrett and the NID and General Hammond's work in D.C., we have everything under control." Sam entered the elevator along with Teal'c and Landry, releasing some built in tension as she exhaled. At least some things were moving along smoothly. "Have you spoken to General O'Neill?" she asked.

"He's been briefed on the situation and I'm sure he's being kept up to date on matters by Hammond." For a moment, Landry seemed reflective, even sad. "He had something to take care of first." He cleared his throat as the elevator opened. "Follow me."

* * *

He knocked twice. 

When she answered the door, the pure shock in her face hurt him, but it wasn't like he'd been expecting anything more. Not after all this time.

"Jack?" Sara asked.

Jack removed his service cap and held it close to the jacket of his uniform. "There's a problem. I need you to come with me."

She stared at him. It didn't take long for the shock to turn into anger. She narrowed her eyes and took a step back. "I don't see you in years and you just show up on my doorstep and expect me to listen to you?"

Jack sighed inwardly, running his fingers over the rim of his cap. She had no right to give a damn, but it irritated him anyway. Once, her spark and zest had made him feel alive. Now, it just left him cold.

"Whatever problem you have you can deal with it yourself," she said, grabbing the door to slam it. Jack intervened, hitting his hand against the wood, and braced himself.

"Look, Sara," he said. "I can't tell you what is happening, but it's important that you listen to me." He brought his gaze over her head, searching the house. "Are your parents home?"

She sighed. "Yes. Why?"

"I need all of you to grab your things and come with me." He tore off his sunglasses, using them as a pointer to the vehicle that was parked alongside the street. "We're going to transport you to a secure facility where you'll be protected."

"Protected?" She snorted. "What is this about?"

"It's classified."

"Damn you and your classified work!" She pushed against the door, but he kept his grip firm. "Jack, I swear I will call the cops. I don't care who you are."

"Go ahead. Call them. They won't do anything." He stepped closer, using his weight to keep the door ajar. "This is big," he said, softening his voice.

The change in tone was enough to quiet her. She let go of the door, taking a tentative step forward. "Does-does this have something to do with what happened…then?"

Jack licked his lips, thoughtful, but didn't break eye contact. It wasn't like he could lie to her. He never could. It never worked.

"Something along those lines," he said.

She looked away and brought her arms up to hug herself. It was like a knife to the gut. No matter how years had passed, it still tore at him to see her in any kind of pain.

"I know that I haven't—"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Let's not talk about that. Not now." She dropped her arms to her sides, standing a little taller as she gazed intently at him. "What do you need?"

Jack nodded, placing his cap back on his head. He slid on his glasses. "Pack anything essential. We have to leave as soon as possible."

* * *

Carolyn looked up to see her father bring Colonel Carter and Teal'c into the observation room above Daniel's isolation chamber. She leaned back in her chair and waited for them to get situated. 

"I was just telling Colonel Carter and Teal'c that you'd received all the results back on the tests you've run," Landry said.

"That's right," she said, pulling out her medical charts. "And as I said before, there are no anomalies in Jonas Quinn, Colonel Mitchell, or Doctor Jackson."

"He's catatonic," Sam said, pointing to Daniel.

"Obviously," Carolyn said. "But, I've compared his vitals to the information Haikon gave us after Volnek tore up their village and Daniel doesn't have any signs, symptoms, or anything remotely close to what happened to Volnek. I checked his results against all of the data we have on the Ori Plague and other similar diseases. He isn't carrying any of the contagions we've encountered through the Priors. None of them are."

"How can we know for sure?" Landry asked.

"Volnek appeared normal when he returned to his village," Teal'c added. "He did not fall ill until many days later."

Carolyn nodded. She's already taken that into account. "As you know, after Colonel Mitchell and Teal'c returned from the Sodan, we had a medical team go back to the planet and take tissues samples." She withdrew a chart and held it up in front of her father. "We managed to find some of Volnek's remains. I've run a comparison between his samples, and those of Daniel, Cameron, and Jonas." She shrugged. "Nothing."

Landry stared at the chart before narrowing his eyes. "Then what is going on here?"

"I wish I knew," Carolyn said. "I've worked on a lot of cases, but I've never seen one like this."

"I have," Sam said. She stepped a little closer to Carolyn, glancing once at her charts before she focused her attention on Daniel's immobile body. "Twice."

Teal'c cocked his head. "O'Neill?"

Sam nodded. "General O'Neill entered a catatonic state twice. Both times resulted from contact with an Ancient repository device."

"Yes, I already thought of that," Carolyn said with a sigh. "Daniel isn't showing any signs of increased brain activity. Besides, he hasn't come in contact with any Ancient devices." She tossed her chart back onto the table in front of her. "I don't know what to tell you. There's nothing wrong with them."

Sam shifted her weight to her left leg, her gaze falling back to the charts. Carolyn had to fight the protective urge to grab the file.

"Why don't I take a look?" Sam asked, extending her hand. "Some of my past experiences could shed some light—"

"I _know_ what I'm doing, Colonel."

Sam blinked, momentarily bewildered, but Carolyn knew she would recover quickly. Sam's eyes cooled, and she withdrew her hand. "I wasn't questioning your ability. I was merely—"

Landry cleared his throat, catching their attention. "Medical results aside, I'm more concerned about the timing of this incident."

"Is this why you called us here?" Teal'c asked, facing Landry.

Landry gave a short nod. "Colonel Mitchell is concerned that this Ori attack could be a way to distract us."

"Distract us from what?" Carolyn asked.

"All this Doomsday talk," Landry said as he glanced down into the isolation room. "I'm inclined to agree with him, based on the medical results." He refocused on Carolyn, Sam, and Teal'c. "Unless you could give me a reason not to."

Carolyn realized the implications of his statement. "You want to release Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn."

"If there is nothing wrong with them, I need them working on this problem."

Carolyn shook her head. "I don't think—"

"What?"

She froze, turning her head to the isolation room below. Daniel had lifted his head – as far as he could through the restraints – and was wearing a puzzled expression as he glanced around the room. He pushed again and winced, before he become more agitated.

"Hello?" he called. He jerked his arms. "Hello? I know you're there."

"Daniel," Sam said aloud, the relief flooding her voice. She smiled and reached for the comm, only to be stopped by Teal'c. Carolyn frowned along with Sam as they eyed Teal'c carefully.

"Hello!" he said, this time shouting. "Sam? Teal'c? Anyone?"

"We should proceed with caution," Teal'c warned.

"Agreed," Landry said. "I want the three of you to suit up and get down there to ask him questions."

"Yes, sir." Sam and Teal'c proceeded out of the observation room. Carolyn went to follow them, but stopped when Landry grabbed her wrist.

"Carolyn," he said, his voice soft. She thought maybe even nervous. "Be careful."

"You know I will." She offered him a subdued smile before she walked out of the room to suit up with the others. Maybe now they could finally get some answers.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sam followed Teal'c and Doctor Lam into the isolation room, closing the door behind her. From where she stood, she could see the confusion and suspicion in Daniel's eyes as he evaluated their hazmat suits. She tried to tell herself that what she was seeing was bewilderment caused by fear and disorientation, though she had to entertain the idea that maybe something had changed inside of him. The consequences of their mission weren't something Sam was prepared to deal with right now. Pushing those thoughts aside, she took a deep breath and walked over to meet Teal'c and Lam by Daniel's bedside.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked, his forehead dipping as he frowned.

"Daniel…" Sam started to say, but she wasn't really sure how to approach the topic.

"There was an incident. I need you to tell me how you're feeling," Lam said.

"Incident?" His frown only deepened as he moved his gaze down to his right hand. He flexed his fingers slowly before he returned his attention to their hazmat suits. "What?"

Sam exchanged an uneasy look with Teal'c. "You were on Kelowna. Do you remember?"

Again, his gaze darted to his right hand while the confusion embedded in the wrinkles on his face only intensified. _Oh_, she thought, suddenly feeling cold and uncomfortable. She had a feeling she knew what he was thinking.

"Why am I restrained?" he asked instead, jerking his wrists against the restraints.

"Just to be safe," Lam replied, flipping a page on her chart. She glanced over at the equipment that was reading Daniel's vitals before she took a step toward him. "Are you in pain? Do you feel like yourself?"

"I feel like you're dodging my questions on purpose," he muttered, pulling his wrists harder. He grunted as he struggled against the restraints before he stopped and sighed with frustration. "What the hell is going on?"

"That is what we wish to ascertain," Teal'c said. "It is important for you to remember what happened on Kelowna."

He sighed again, thumping his head down on the pillow under him. Daniel closed his eyes. "I remember. I was sort of hoping it was all a dream."

Part of Sam wished the same. Carefully, she reached over to touch his hand, even if the glove prevented any true physical contact. The support was all that mattered.

"Tell us what happened to you," Lam said.

"There were Priors," he said, his brow knotting as he thought. "I remember a light and then I felt a pop." He shifted uncomfortably and opened his eyes. "Why am I restrained?" he asked again, his voice low.

Sam saw the suspicion re-enter his face as he yanked against the leather straps. Angry, he hit his fists against the gurney.

"It's just a precaution," Sam said.

He glared at her. "From what?" He searched the three of them; Sam figured he was looking for answers. Suddenly, he paled and turned away. With a sigh, he stared at the ceiling.

Sam empathized with him. But she was more concerned with any unknown effects this Prior could have caused.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, this time his voice steadier, even concerned. "Are Mitchell and Jonas okay?"

"They will be fine," Teal'c said. "As will you."

Sam hoped Teal'c was right. Seeing Daniel either locked up or hooked up to a dozen medical devices brought back memories Sam didn't want to revisit.

"Nothing feels out of the ordinary?" Lam asked.

He shook his head. "No, I don't feel any different. I feel…normal." He seemed to linger on that word, his mind off somewhere else, before he frowned again and turned to Sam. "Wait…Janet. Where's Janet?"

Sam felt her stomach bottom out. This wasn't exactly the kind of conversation she had wanted to have with him.

"Colonel Mitchell has informed us that a Prior accompanied Doctor Fraiser through the Stargate," Teal'c said, sparing Sam the responsibility of revealing the news to him.

"What?" Daniel asked. The anger had returned. "And they didn't go after them?"

"Daniel, you were catatonic," Sam said. "Colonel Mitchell had a duty to see to your well-being. As soon as they were able, Jonas went after the Prior."

"He should have gone after her," Daniel said bitterly. "Now, we won't find her."

Sam stared at him, but said nothing. While she wanted to tell Daniel that they had the coordinates to the planet where Janet had gone, something was holding her back. She couldn't explain it. He had every right to be moody, but still…something about Daniel was making her uneasy.

"What…aren't you telling me?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

Sam exchanged another uneasy look with Teal'c, and then Lam, before Teal'c finally spoke. "Jonas Quinn possesses the coordinates."

Daniel's mouth dropped open.

"We're planning to send a team through to extract her," Sam said at last.

"Then, I have to go with you. I need to get out of here."

"No, you're not," Lam said, her voice firm. "You'll be staying right here until I verify that you are 'normal' after another series of tests."

"You can't do that," Daniel protested.

"Yes, I can."

Daniel muttered under his breath and slammed his fists down again. For a moment, Sam thought he was going to slip into another moody fit, but instead he turned to her, his eyes filled with hope.

"Sam, you have to let me go," he said, pleading with her. "I was with her when she died. I need to know what is going on."

"I know. And I want you with us, too." Sam sighed. "But it's not up to me. We're preparing to send a MALP and a UAV to the planet based on Jonas' coordinates. If you're given a clean bill of health by the time the team is assembled, I can't see why you wouldn't be able to come with us."

It was a long shot. Sam knew it was. But they couldn't let Daniel or Cameron or even Jonas go through the Stargate if they had been compromised.

"Then, let's get the tests completed," Daniel said. He slumped against the gurney in resignation. "The sooner, the better."

"I'll need your full cooperation," Lam told him.

Daniel nodded. "I know."

"Teal'c and I are going to start preparing the MALP and UAV for deployment." She squeezed Daniel's hand. "We'll let you know if anything changes. I promise."

For the first time since they entered the room, Daniel smiled. It was a weak smile, but enough to soften some of the doubts Sam was having.

"Thank you," he said.

She nodded. "Take care of yourself."

Sam left him in Lam's care as she and Teal'c exited the isolation room and entered the decontamination area. Within minutes, they were cleared and on their way back to the control room. Teal'c spoke once they were alone.

"It is not wise to provide promises we may not be able to keep," Teal'c said, eyeing her cautiously.

"Do you think there is really something wrong with him?"

"I have seen what happened to Volnek with my own eyes." He glanced away as they walked, refusing to meet her gaze. "I do not wish the same fate for Daniel Jackson or Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn."

"Neither do I," she said, reaching out to stroke his arm supportively. "Let's hope for the best."

* * *

"So, what's the story, morning glory?" All eyes were on Cameron as he clapped his hands and entered the control room. 

"Good of you to join us, Colonel. Mr. Quinn," Landry said. "We're just about to send out a MALP to the planet based on the coordinates you provided."

Quinn joined Cameron by Harriman's station, watching as the MALP scooted up the ramp and into the event horizon. With a loud slurp sound, the machine vanished. Cameron watched with a smile. Damn, that never got old.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked him and then Quinn. She was seated in Harriman's usual place, Teal'c standing like a statue by her side.

"Clean bill of health," Cameron said, patting his chest. "I'm perfectly normal."

Cameron frowned. He could have sworn he'd heard a snort from Teal'c, but when he looked at the guy, he was as stoic as ever.

"Doctor Lam gave us the all clear," Quinn said. His attention was quickly diverted to the screen. "What's that?"

"Sir, we're receiving visual." Sam adjusted the frequency and fine-tuned the picture, revealing a series of fuzzy looking columns. "I'm going to try to see if I can focus the camera on the MALP for a better view."

Landry nodded, hovering in the background as Sam did her thing. They waited, noting the fluctuations in the picture as it faded in and out, all the while the little MALP chugging like the little engine that could. Once it stumbled over a bump here and there, it would stop, sputter, and then start again.

Finally, the MALP stopped, but the picture came through loud and clear.

"It appears to be a road," Teal'c said. "There are columns on either side of the pathway."

"And it looks like the MALP hit one of those columns," Cameron added, glancing over to Sam as she struggled with the controls. "I don't think that baby is moving."

"It's stuck," Sam said, confirming Cameron's fears. She tilted her head back and to the side, far enough for her gaze to find Landry. "General, I'm recommending we go ahead with a UAV aerial survey. If Janet and the Prior are still on the planet, it's possible that they are far enough out of range for the MALP to locate."

"Go ahead and set it up," Landry said, talking over the sound of the Gate as the event horizon fizzled and snapped off. "Contact me as soon as you have anything. I'm going to go check in with Agent Barrett and see if General Hammond or General O'Neill have anything new to tell us."

Landry headed up the stairs as Walter Harriman reappeared, holding something he assumed was for Sam. He gave it to her and they exchanged some Gate talk before Sam started to settle down and get to work on getting the UAV set up.

Cameron watched and waited silently, his arms crossed, as Sergeant Siler and a team of engineers brought in the UAV and started to prepare for launch. The last time he got involved and chatted away during a project much like this one Sam had glared at him for days. He was beginning to know his place.

Cameron had noted that Quinn was quiet, but that man's eyes never stopped moving. He was drinking in the sights like cheap beer, but without all the nasty side effects. As far as Cameron could tell, every person, every thing, every detail didn't get past Quinn's watchful gaze.

Teal'c remained silent, but then again Teal'c tended to be that way. But from what Jackson had told him, this was as chatty as Teal'c had ever been. Cameron couldn't even begin to imagine what he'd been like when he was quiet.

The UAV was in place and everything seemed to be a go. Cameron heard Sam bark a few orders to some technicians down below, all of whom just scowled and went about their work. He had to really fight the urge to say something.

He didn't have to since the phone rang.

Surprised, Cameron turned his head to follow the sound of the ringing phone, watching as Chief Sergeant Harriman moved to grab it. In the span of five seconds, Harriman went from calm and controlled to appearing downright angry.

"Why does he keep calling me?" Cameron heard Harriman ask aloud. Sighing, he turned away from the phone and glared at Sam. "Colonel, I have O'Neill on the line for you. The…other one."

Sam swiveled in her seat, her fingers remaining on the controls as she looked over at the phone. She might be a multitasker, Cameron thought, but she wasn't Wonder Woman.

"I'll take it," Cameron said, walking over to Harriman. Walter thrust the phone into Cameron's hands and stalked away, muttering under his breath. Cameron just shrugged before he brought the phone to his ears. "This is Mitchell."

"You're not Carter. Let me speak to Carter."

Cameron held his tongue and bit back any quip about being the leader of SG-1, settling for some run of the mill speech instead. "Thank you for your help. It's been great."

"No, you're not going to brush me off that easily," the young man said. "I used to head up SG-1. I know what needs to be done. I know that something big is happening, and I know that you need my help."

"We've got everything under control. The real General O'Neill in Washington is coordinating efforts..." His voice trailed off when he noticed Sam shaking her head emphatically.

Damn, he'd said the wrong thing, hadn't he?

"I am the real deal, pal," the clone said, his voice hard. "Where's Daniel? He'll listen to me."

Jackson. Damn. He wasn't going to get into that one. Cameron wasn't even sure if he could trust the clone at this point. "He's busy," Cameron replied simply.

"Not good enough. If it wasn't for me, you--"

Cameron jerked, surprised as Teal'c grabbed the phone from his hands. "O'Neill," he stated evenly. "Your services are no longer required. Goodbye." He hung up the phone.

Sam and Cameron exchanged an uneasy look, before Cameron broke into a grin.

"Simple, short, and sweet. I like that," Cameron said to Teal'c, hoping to get some kind of affirmation from the Jaffa.

Teal'c stared at him.

Cameron cleared his throat. Breaking Teal'c was going to be harder than he'd thought. "So," he said, changing the subject. He made his way back to Sam and Quinn, gazing down at the UAV. "This ready to go?"

"We're set to launch." Sam flipped on the switch on the control panel and began the dialing sequence. "Everyone clear the Gateroom."

The rest of them waited as the personnel cleared out. After the seventh chevron locked and the not-water flooded through the center to form the event horizon, the UAV sputtered and sprung to life, zipping through the Stargate. And it was away.

"Receiving telemetry. I'm getting a picture." Sam shifted to allow Quinn and himself a better view.

"Wow," Quinn said.

"You're the king of understatement," Cameron muttered, staring at the picture. Wow just didn't cover it. The UAV soared over a palace – not some cheesy B movie kind, either. Just based on the picture feedback alone, it looked like it had been made from some high quality stone and glistened in the sunlight that washed over the planet. Most of the structures had a rounded or oval quality to them, and Cameron didn't miss the towers that loomed in the background. This place looked like it had all the bells and whistles.

"Can you get a closer look?" Quinn asked. "I thought I saw some writing."

Sam switched the UAV to manual, piloting the device closer to one of the pillars that lined the roadway heading to the palace. Sure enough, Cameron caught some chicken scratch scribbled onto the columns.

"Can you read it?" Cameron asked him.

Quinn shook his head. "No, but it's definitely Ancient."

Ancient. Well, hot damn. They had a winner.

"It would appear the Ori have been here for some time," Teal'c said.

"Maybe," Sam said. "But it could very well be an Ancient outpost, not unlike the one we have at Antarctica."

"Except ours isn't a pleasure palace, right?" Cameron shook his head. As much as he'd like to believe Sam's more optimistic view, it just didn't fit. The thought that the Ori could have some secret base in their galaxy left him cold. "Either way, if the Priors gated there, they have a reason for it. I'm betting it's no coincidence they went somewhere with Ancient language."

Sam sighed and nodded. "We're going to need General Landry. He's going to want to take a look at this."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"It's a palace," Hank said, staring at the photos Colonel Carter had enlarged from the UAV's readouts. They were spread out in haphazard fashion over the briefing room table.

"Yes, though it's not as large as we'd first assessed," Carter said. "We managed to do a full aerial survey of the palace before breaking off and bringing the UAV back through the Stargate."

"I can see that," Hank mumbled, glossing over the photos again. "And we were undetected?"

"If they knew we were there, they didn't seem to give a damn," Mitchell said.

"Or they knew you were there and did this on purpose." Hank was more inclined to agree with the latter. There was no mistaking the Ori gave Priors special powers. While they weren't omniscient, they could get damn close to it. Hank hated this scenario more and more with each new detail he was given.

He tapped at one particular picture. "I've seen this before."

"That's Ancient, sir," Jonas Quinn said. "Whoever built these structures obviously was fluent in the language."

"So, are we talking Ancients or Ori?" Hank asked.

"We are not certain," Teal'c replied.

"Oh?" Hank didn't need this right now.

"General, we've managed to match the coordinates from Jonas with a Gate address in our database. It seems as if one of the planets we were never able to access before is now available," Sam told him.

Hank glanced down at the pictures. Miraculously, a planet they couldn't get a lock on suddenly became available just when they needed it. It stunk.

"What planet is this?"

"One of the addresses that General O'Neill entered into our database after he encountered the Ancient repository the first time," Sam said. "We tried to connect but the chevrons wouldn't lock."

"So, it's possible that this was a planet of the Ancients given their association with the Asgard," Jonas said.

"'Was' is the operative word." Something had happened between the time SG-1 had attempted to Gate to the planet and now. That much was obvious. "Ancients. Ori. It doesn't matter," Hank said, walking away from the table to gaze down at the Stargate below. "I think it's fairly clear this is a trap."

"Does this mean you're scrapping the mission?" Mitchell asked.

To be honest, Hank wasn't sure. While he wanted to get to the bottom of this Janet Fraiser imposter – if she was one – and find out what kind of plan the Ori could be plotting, he couldn't risk the lives of the men and women that were under his command. He especially couldn't run that risk when all the information that he had indicated a major ambush in the works. In this case, the negatives far outweighed the positives.

"General Landry?"

Hank turned toward the unfamiliar voice. A soldier stood in the doorway with a young man in tow.

Damn it all. He just didn't take no for an answer.

"Continue evaluating the pictures and the data from the MALP," Hank told them as he walked toward his office. He signaled for the airman and the youth to meet him at the other entrance. "I have something to take care of first."

Hank left SG-1 and Jonas Quinn to mull over the photos as he entered his office. Not bothering to take a seat, he stood in front of his desk, waiting for the airman to come inside.

"Sir?"

"Leave him," Hank told the soldier. After the airman had left, Hank sighed. "Jack, you just don't give up."

"You're keeping me locked up without any idea of what is happening," Jack said. "You can't leave me in the dark."

"You're not part of the military or this command," Hank said, moving to study some of the decorations he had on his wall. "I know you might not like that, but I can't give you the clearance you want."

"It's not about clearance." Jack leaned against the door and shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's about experience. You can't just expect me to sit around and do nothing when you're in the middle of a crisis." He stared through the transparent star chart that separated Hank's office from the briefing room, his gaze lingering on the remnants of SG-1. "The SGC is crawling with people we've met in the past. They're here for a reason, Hank."

Hank was about to question Jack how he knew about the civilians on base, but he thought better of it. This kid had the mind of Jack O'Neill and knew this base inside out. That fact could be their greatest asset or their biggest problem.

"This thing with me and Cassandra…it doesn't stop there, does it?" Jack asked. "Whatever is going down, it's big."

Big didn't even begin to cover the situation. Hank was in over his head with problems, without the necessary staff to handle everything. He was beginning to feel the budget cuts, more so now than ever before. Now that the international community was buckling on them…

"Bringing these people here was a bad idea, Hank," Jack said, lowering his voice. "Whose bright idea was this anyway?"

"Mine."

Both turned their attention to the doorway. Jack squeezed past the clone and tossed his service cap on one of Landry's empty seats.

"Great," the clone said. "Shouldn't you be in Washington?"

"Obviously, I'm here on business," the real Jack muttered. "And what's wrong with my idea? You of all people should understand."

"I _do_ understand," the clone said. "You think that it's a good idea to keep everyone protected and secure, the best place being the SGC. But _we _both know that if there are spies or if any one of our old allies have been compromised, now everyone is right where they want them."

"Do you really think I hadn't already thought of that? Sure, it's a risk, but it might also force any spies into the open." Jack frowned. "How did you find out about the nishta?"

The younger Jack grinned. "I didn't. But you just gave me the last bit of info that I couldn't get out of Daniel."

Hank sighed. This was just wonderful. "I'm glad the two of you are hitting it off so well, but I have a base to run."

"Nishta?" the clone asked. "The guys that nabbed me this morning are in with nishta? How the hell did they get that stuff?"

"Not your concern," Jack replied.

"Damn well my concern. They tried to kidnap me."

"It's like watching an internal tennis match," Hank muttered to himself. He shook his head. "Jack, I understand your desire to help, but the details are classified," he said while holding up his hand to silence the older version. "You'll be escorted back to your room."

"The hell I will." He crossed his arms and remained in the doorway. "I'm not blind. I know there's something bigger than the nishta problem. What is it? The Goa'uld? The Aschen? What?"

"The answers are no, no, and you're not going to know," Jack said with a scowl.

"Daniel must have talked to you by now," the young Jack said. "I can offer a tactical advantage and strategic information."

"I'm here," Jack said.

"And you're old."

"Jack and Jack," Hank said, his voice strained. Just because he'd known Jack for a long time didn't mean the man couldn't push his buttons. He focused on the younger man. "I will take your request under advisement. For now, I suggest you return to your room. I'll contact you shortly." Hank pressed the comm and requested one of the airmen stationed nearby to join him in his office. "As for you," he said turning to the older Jack, "did you get everything taken care of?"

"Yeah," Jack answered, his voice quiet. "I tied up some loose ends."

Hank nodded, understanding. He took a quick glance into the briefing room, not at all surprised to find its occupants watching every last detail of what was happening in his office.

"Jack," he said, "Why don't you get settled in the briefing room? Seems to me there are some people inside just itching to see you." He chuckled. "And don't worry about all the formalities."

Jack grabbed his cap and headed for the briefing room entrance, pausing long enough to offer Hank a smirk and a shrug. "I'm your boss, remember? I'll do what I damn well please. I'm the man."

Hank just sighed and shook his head, watching as Jack entered the briefing room. Immediately, his old friends and teammates greeted him, and he received a whole-hearted salute from Colonel Mitchell. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged; Hank could even hear the excited chatter from Colonel Carter as she brought Jack up to speed on the problem. He couldn't be prouder to see old friends catch up.

But his light mood shifted when he glanced over to his right. Jack, the young clone, remained quiet, leaning against the door with his hands deep into his pockets. He watched the exchange through narrowed eyes, his face dark and tight.

Hank studied him for a moment longer before he slipped behind his desk. He grabbed a file on his desk and extended it forward. The motion caught Jack's attention instantly.

"What's this?" he asked, taking the file.

"That is a run down on our current situation. I'm sure you'll have a lot of questions, but that will do for now."

Jack stared at him. "You're giving this to me? Just like that? How do you know that I'm not some spy for whatever little conspiracy is trying to poke a hole in your operation?"

"Because I know a genuine human reaction when I see one."

Jack looked away. "Sure. Fine." He shifted his weight from leg to leg, his cheeks flushing pink. "Thanks."

"We could use your expertise." Hank beckoned the soldier he'd summoned into the room. "I'd like you to escort O'Neill to one of the VIP rooms on the lower level." He returned his attention to Jack. "Anything you had in your old room will be transferred down to you. I'll be in touch with you in an hour."

"Yes, sir."

Hank chuckled, seeing the first full-fledged smile on the young man since he'd entered the base. Leaving his desk, he walked to the briefing room to join the others. Now, if only everything else would work that smoothly.

* * *

Jack entered the room and kept close to the door. It wasn't that he was afraid or hesitant. He was just on guard for any atypical response. 

Daniel raised his head, catching Jack's gaze before he glanced back down to finish tying his laces. When he was done, he swung his legs over the side of the gurney and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's not like I have special powers that can fry you on the spot," Daniel said.

"You sure about that?"

"I think I'd know." He nudged his chin forward, motioning to the file in Jack's hands. "What's that?"

Jack ignored the question and walked over to meet him. As Jack approached, Daniel hopped off the gurney, smoothing the sheets so Jack could set down the file. Jack did as expected, only he didn't open the folder just yet.

"What happened?" Jack asked. He needed to hear for himself.

"I'm sure you've read the report. Prior. Staff. I was too busy being attacked to really remember all the details."

"Lose the attitude, Daniel." Jack slapped the folder open. "You're not making your case, here."

"I saw her, Jack. I saw her with them." His searching eyes held Jack's gaze. "I don't think you can understand how that felt."

"No, probably not." Distance had the ability to mask old wounds. One of the few perks that came with living on the other side of the country, for better or for worse. "You okay?"

"No," Daniel muttered.

Not the answer Jack wanted, but he could read between the lines. "I mean, other than that are you—"

"Yeah. I won't be going all zombie, if that's what you mean." He turned to Jack. "Things must be bad for you to have come all the way from Washington."

_On multiple fronts,_ Jack thought. But he kept that to himself.

"The Nishta Project was conceived under presidential order," he explained, making note of Daniel's shocked expression. "Obviously, there are people misusing that directive."

"Obviously."

"It's not just the Ori that are a problem. Something else is going on and it stinks to high heaven."

"That doesn't make any sense," Daniel said. "I don't understand why there had to be a directive in the first place. Why would President Hayes use nishta to try to control the SGC? He knows that he can turn to you, General Hammond, or General Landry. We're not enemies."

None of them were enemies. But politics could be rough. While Jack didn't know all the details, he knew that Hayes felt pressure from his administration, particularly those who knew about the program, and the Appropriations Committee to make sure the SGC showed them some results. Jack never had liked to think about the financial end of things back when he was heading SG-1; he just wanted to get the job done. Things were different now. They had been ever since he'd been promoted the first time. He couldn't afford not to consider the implications of funding and the partisan politics that went into government.

"Hayes wouldn't be that underhanded," Jack said. "I doubt it's as black and white as it seems. And that's why it's more important than ever we sway the IOA and their respective governments into backing a unilateral agreement against the Ori. One less problem to deal with while we get to the bottom of the nishta issue."

Daniel nodded. "Right." He snuck in a small sly smile, easing some of Jack's concerns over his mental state. "You're becoming quite the diplomat."

"Yeah, and I hate it." Jack passed over a photo from his file. "What can you tell me about this place?"

"I've seen this before," Daniel replied with a frown. He adjusted his glasses and rubbed the brow over his right eye thoughtfully.

"You should have. The description is nearly identical to the one you gave about that place when you were off…" Jack made a fluttering motion with his fingers.

Daniel snorted. "It's like the palace where Vala and I were imprisoned. On the Plains of Celestis."

"The what?"

"The Plains of Celestis," Daniel mumbled. He traced his fingers over the photo before moving to review the rest. "Only this palace is smaller, much smaller. And it's on land."

"So, it's Ori designed?"

"Most definitely. Or, well, as far as I can tell. It's not like I had a chance to stop and smell the roses while being investigated for being a heretic." Daniel paused, his frown deepening as he turned to stare at Jack.

"What?" Jack asked.

"No suit."

Jack glanced down at himself. "Huh? What's your point?"

"Sam, Teal'c, and Doctor Lam have been coming in here fully geared up."

"Well, the doc can't find anything wrong with you. Otherwise, she wouldn't let you walk around in here without your bracelets," Jack said, pointing to the restraints on the gurney. "She doesn't see why we have to wear the hazmat suits. Not now, anyway."

Daniel's face brightened. "That means I can get out of here."

"Not exactly."

That pissed-off look Daniel seemed to have perfected in Mal Doran's presence made a comeback. "What?"

"Doctor Lam wants to be completely certain that you're okay."

"She's tested me five times," Daniel said with a frustrated sigh. "There's nothing left to check." He lowered his voice, stepping closer to Jack. He didn't miss the determination in Daniel's eyes, the same kind of fire he always got when he had his heart set on something. "I have to come with you."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Daniel…"

"Look, Jack. I've been to a building that is almost identical to this one. If you want to find Janet and gain any intelligence on this place, I'm your best bet for a clean and effective campaign."

"Quite the military mind," Jack said, arching his eyebrows.

Daniel sighed. "Yeah, and I hate it."

Jack considered Daniel's plea. He was right. If they wanted to hit this base with all they had, having Daniel's familiarity with the place would certainly cut losses. At the same time, Jack couldn't be certain that Daniel would be an asset. His emotions were too entangled with finding Janet, and it's not like there was any love between Daniel and the Ori.

Add the event on Kelowna into the mix and Jack wasn't feeling so great about letting Daniel join them. He wasn't keen on the mission period.

"Jack…"

"Daniel, you might be fine right now, but there's no telling what could happen hours or even days from now. I can't be in the middle of a mission off-world and have you snap and go Rambo on us." He chewed the inside of his lip as he weighed the possibilities. "I need reassurances that you can't give me."

"I know. I wish I could give you more than my word." Daniel searched his face, and once again Jack saw the passion, the fire, and the need to prove himself. The desire to try to save Janet, Sha're, Sarah, Vala…whoever.

Jack sighed and stared at Daniel, making known his own determination and passion. He wouldn't let this command go to hell.

"This mission will go as planned," Jack told him. His gaze was hard. "I won't let anything or anyone endanger my men."

Daniel was a bright guy. Jack knew he understood.

Never losing the fire in his eyes, Daniel nodded. "You're just going to have to trust me."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Now, the palace isn't all that far from the Gate."

"We'll be in and out in no time flat," Jack told Hank. They walked down the corridor, heading toward the Gateroom. "Don't worry."

Hank gave Jack that same look he'd seen him give his daughter on numerous occasions. Jack rolled his eyes.

Of course he knew it wouldn't be easy. Since when did any of their plans work? The whole scenario was obviously a set up – the Prior, Fraiser, the ease at getting intel on the palace. But the gains outweighed the risk. They had to know what the hell was going on at this site. They could be on the verge of uncovering something that would sway international opinion in their favor. They could even find something they could use against the Ori.

And they could be rescuing one of their own. As far as Jack was concerned, that was reason enough.

"We've handled worse situations," Jack assured Hank, pausing at the Gateroom door.

"These are Priors and the Ori, Jack. You might have Special Ops training on the top of your accomplishments, but that won't stop them from tossing you around like a rag doll."

"Now that's a pleasant image."

Hank stopped him. "This is no joke."

"Never said it was," Jack said evenly. "But it has to be done."

Hank knew it. Jack knew it. Nothing was going to change that fact.

Hank nodded, clapping Jack on the shoulder before he disappeared through the passageway that led to the control room. Jack tapped his fingers on the butt of his P-90, considering Hank's words. Looked like the helmets were a good idea, after all.

Jack slipped on his helmet, readjusting the night vision goggles he had attached to the rim. Without another thought, he walked into the Gateroom.

The teams hadn't fully assembled, but they looked about ready. He caught Ferretti standing in for an injured Harper on SG-5; Reynolds and his team standing by; and Carter, Mitchell, Teal'c and Daniel finishing organizing their weapons and gizmos. Jack's gaze fell to the G36k Mitchell was holding.

Jack cleared his throat and motioned to Mitchell with his fingers. "A word," he said.

Mitchell sauntered over to Jack. "What's up?"

"I'm not here to tell you how to run your command—"

"But you want me to split up my team into two smaller units," Cameron said, flashing him a knowing smile. "Sam with me and Teal'c with Jackson. Or vice versa. You want to be sure someone is there to knock us out in case Jackson and I go Living Dead on you."

"Sounds about right."

"No problem."

"Ah…that's not all," Jack said. Mitchell frowned. "Let's try to tone this mission down a bit, all right?" Jack pointed to Mitchell's G36k. "I know you can get a little…_involved_ in your work."

"Ah ha," Mitchell said with a laugh. "I'm hearing you."

"Good." He forced a smile and motioned for Mitchell to go join the rest of his team, ignoring the curious expressions plastered on the faces of Carter, Daniel, and Teal'c.

Jack made his way toward the ramp, turning around to face the men and women assembled at the rear of the Gateroom. He thumbed his fingers on his belt and cleared his throat once.

"Alright, folks. Listen up." Jack waited for the chatter to fade into a handful of whispers. "You've all been briefed on the terrain surrounding the target. This is a search and rescue. We move in, grab Fraiser, get the hell out, and make for the Gate. Questions?"

Nothing but a murmur of agreement. Not a bad start.

"Feretti, I want you and SG-5 to hold the Gate."

"What about you, sir?" Feretti asked.

"I'll be heading into the palace with SG-1 and SG-3," Jack said. "Once we have a better idea of the interior layout, we'll reassess formation then." Jack searched the crowd, silently assessing everyone's state of readiness. Though he felt confident with the crew with him, he had to ask. "Are we clear on what we have to do?"

Another murmur of agreement passed through the group. Jack grunted with satisfaction before turning his attention to the control room. Inside, he saw Jonas seated next to Walter with Landry standing by their sides. Jonas was on standby along with SG-14 in the event they needed a rescue team themselves. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. Finally, Jack gave the nod to start the dialing sequence.

Jack exhaled slowly, turning his back to the teams, and faced the Gate. The ring started spinning. Jack had almost forgotten just how crazy it all seemed – watching a strange alien artifact charge itself before it exploded.

"It's been over a year now since you went through," he heard Daniel whisper near his ear.

Jack didn't bother to look at him. "I remember the first time we went through this thing."

"Good to know you haven't gone senile, yet," Daniel said. Through the corner of his eye, Jack caught his mischievous little smirk.

Jack remained still, facing forward. "I hated you."

"The feeling was mutual."

"You were a soft, sneezing, lying son of a bitch."

"You were a hard, unforgiving, single-minded ass."

Jack turned to Daniel, feeling the corners of his mouth turn upward into an impish smile. Daniel's face mirrored his own.

Yeah, it was crazy all right. But it was home.

The Gate shook, whining as the final chevrons locked. Feeling the anticipation build, amplified by the vibration that diffused from the ramp through his boots, Jack leaned forward. Then, right on schedule, the Gate ripped open, spilling its contents into a whoosh of light. Jack set his goggles into place and grabbed his P-90.

"Go, go, go!" he yelled, charging up the ramp and into the pool of light.

The journey was over before he'd finished yelling. Jack thundered down the small set of stairs beneath the Stargate and planted himself the roadway that led to the palace. Quietly, he started to search the area.

The planet was deep in darkness. Through the gritty and uneven scope of the goggles, he caught little to no movement, except for the SG personnel that were piling through the Gate. The moons that the UAV had uncovered earlier were nowhere in sight; Jack figured they were masked by cloud cover. The columns rose on both sides above him and he could see the palace as it loomed ahead.

Everyone kept talking about how small the palace was. Damn. Jack needed to have a talk with Daniel and Carter about what they considered "small."

"Report," Jack said, continuing to search the terrain.

"The area is clear," Feretti said. "We'll secure the Gate. You're set to go."

Perfect. "If things go south, I want you to contact the SGC," Jack said. He waved for SG-3 and SG-1 to join him. "Let's go."

Jack joined SG-3 and the two teams started to slink down the pathway to the palace. They remained quick but careful, keeping watchful as they searched the area through their night vision. Nothing out the ordinary. Nothing even ordinary. Just silence and a clear view of the palace.

What a palace. It curved and rose in a way that Daniel would have probably figured was majestic, if this were the time and place for that sort of thing. Jack could already anticipate the curves serving as perfect blind spots and hiding places. Snipers could be lining the roof.

"Put on your thermal vision," Jack told them. "I don't want any surprises."

Jack readjusted his goggles, switching to thermal. He raised his P-90, scoping both the tops of the palace towers and the perimeter around its base.

Nothing. Nothing at all.

The palace couldn't be empty. They'd put too much work in this plan for the damn place to be empty.

They reached the entrance, stopping at the gates. He lifted the goggles and set them on his helmet. While the coast was clear, Jack took the opportunity to regroup and reassess their current position. He reached into his vest and tossed C-4 to Carter.

"Extra insurance," he told her upon catching her puzzled look.

"You ready, General?" Reynolds asked.

Jack nodded. No sense in wasting any more time. "We get inside the main chamber, look for signs of hostiles, and secure the area." He turned to his old team. "Once we have everything under control, you hit the next level. If Fraiser is here, I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts she's in one of those towers."

"I can help with the layout once we're inside," Daniel said. He snapped off the goggles and slipped his glasses out of his pocket, sliding them onto his face. "I'm particularly familiar with the towers."

Jack didn't want to know. He just wanted the job done. There was something about this place that sent a jolt through his body and not in a good way, either.

He nudged his chin to the door as he raised his weapon. "Captain."

Willis grabbed onto the doors of the gates and pressed his body against it, waiting for Jack's signal. SG-1 and SG-3 readied their weapons and lurched forward.

"Now!"

* * *

The two teams burst through the doors and poured into the main foyer. O'Neill and Reynolds charged up the middle, circling and scouting, their weapons high and ready to fire. The rest of SG-3 fanned out in a circular pattern, quickly covering the floor. SG-1 remained by the door, watching their backs. 

The main entrance was huge. There were columns inside, much like the ones outside, etched in Ancient, as far as Cameron could tell. Hell, they'd even left the lights on for them. At the back of the room was a large expansive staircase that reached up to the second floor before splitting into two separate wings. They formed two parallel balconies on either side of the main chamber. From where Cameron stood, he couldn't see any of the enemy lying in wait for them, but it didn't erase the creepy feel. The place reminded Cameron of those old mansions he'd visited in Rhode Island or the plantations from his home in the South.

Cameron happened to glance to his left and frowned when he noticed Sam was studying some little gadget intently. "Got something?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure," she said. "I'm picking up some heat signatures on the second level, but they keep fading in and out."

"How can you not be sure?" Jackson asked, glancing back out the doors.

"Don't tell me we got faulty equipment," Cameron said. Wouldn't that be the kicker?

"It could be anything from range to conditions on this planet." Sam held the thermal device higher, moving as she searched for more definitive reasons. "Either way, something is up there."

"Then we should investigate," Teal'c said.

"Just waiting for Boss Man to give the all clear," Mitchell said.

"Clear," General O'Neill said, taking the cue. He marched over to them while remaining alert. "Major Coleman and I will hold the stairwell that leads up to the second floor. We'll be ready in case you need reinforcements. No heroics," he told him, his eyes hard. "Just grab her and go."

"No problem," Cameron said. O'Neill stepped out of their way, allowing SG-1 room to make it to the stairway. Cameron felt O'Neill hot on their heels.

The four of them, followed by Coleman and O'Neill, climbed the stairs. Heeding O'Neill's advice, Cameron split the team – he kept Sam with him and had Teal'c watch Jackson. Both veered off onto different sides of the level while Coleman and O'Neill remained in the center.

Sam and Cameron quietly stalked down the balcony, pausing at each door while Sam checked her thermal camera. Every time they stopped, she would shake her head and they would try the next door. And the next door. And the next door.

"What? They disappear?"

"This way," she said, pausing to shift the weight of her P-90.

The two of them crept into the next room on their stop, finding that in reality it was another stairwell. This stairway was tall, narrow and steep, giving Cameron flashbacks to old ghost stories his grandma used to tell.

"I'm thinking we should have brought Casper along for this one."

Sam snickered. She moved ahead of Cameron and glanced upward. "There's definitely another floor up there." Sam took a step forward, pausing to touch her radio. "General," Sam whispered into her two-way. "We're advancing up a level. Over and out."

"Wonderful," Cameron said, following Sam up the stairs. "Let's go ghost hunting."

* * *

Teal'c remained on guard as he and Daniel Jackson investigated the building. The palace appeared to hold many secrets with numerous doors and passageways throughout its structure. This fact did little to ease the restlessness that Teal'c felt. 

While he wished to find Doctor Fraiser as much as his friends, he did not see the usefulness in this mission. His years as First Prime of Apophis had provided him with the training and skill to tell the difference between a sound mission and one that was not. The quest to find Doctor Fraiser was indeed a trap. This he knew. But the nature of the trap remained unknown to him.

The Tau'ri could be brash and ignorant in their decision-making. It was one of their faults, one that angered Teal'c deeply, but one that he had learned to accept. He knew that the hearts of his friends were in the right places, even if they expressed themselves poorly.

But Teal'c had to admit to himself that his unease was not targeted on the planet or this building alone. He strengthened his grip on his weapon and glanced at Daniel Jackson.

He feared for his friend or what his friend could become.

Since the incident on Kelowna, Teal'c had noticed a change in the behavior of his friend. He knew that it could be solely due to the appearance of Doctor Fraiser, but Teal'c did not believe this was so. Teal'c feared that there was a change present within Daniel Jackson.

He understood that Daniel Jackson often became agitated when presented with a problem that he could not fix. Yet, his agitation over the course of the past few hours left Teal'c feeling cold inside.

"Teal'c," Daniel Jackson whispered. He was holding a device similar to the one that Colonel Carter had been carrying. "You can relax. I'm okay."

"I wish that I could believe your words, Daniel Jackson."

"Just trust me," he said. He stopped long enough to place his hand on Teal'c's arm. "I wouldn't hurt you or anyone else."

It was true that Daniel Jackson would never intentionally harm his friends. But what had happed with Volnek and the Sodan had not been intentional.

Daniel Jackson sighed and nodded, before he went back to his work. Teal'c felt guilty for his feelings, knowing that his friend understood. But Teal'c could not allow for a lack of vigilance. Not with the Ori and their powers.

The two of them entered another room on another level. It appeared to be yet another place filled will large books and ancient items. Under normal circumstances, Teal'c felt Daniel Jackson would have enjoyed a building such as this.

"Oh, hey, wait," Daniel Jackson said, making a motion for Teal'c to stop. He walked to one of the bookcases, holding up the thermal detector to the shelf. "I think there is a passage behind here."

"It would not be the first time we have encountered hidden rooms and passageways," Teal'c commented, as he helped Daniel Jackson search for a way to access the room behind the wall.

"No, every creepy civilization seems to have one," Daniel Jackson mumbled. He pocketed the device and lowered his weapon before he began removing books from the shelf. "One of these has to be a trigger."

Teal'c watched as his friend continued his fruitless search. Perhaps the answer did not lie within the bookcase.

"Daniel Jackson!" he called. Teal'c moved to stand near a statue. He had watched enough television to know that clues could be found in any place. "Perhaps we should try this."

Daniel Jackson stared at him as if he did not believe him, offering Teal'c a moment of relief from his concern over his friend's possible ailment. "This isn't that Resident Evil game that you like to play."

Teal'c reached over and pulled the arm of the statue. The bookcase groaned and shook, moving to reveal a secret passageway. Teal'c tilted his head and grinned.

"Okay, or not…" Daniel Jackson grabbed the device and held it into the darkened hallway. "I'm picking up something but it's faint. I think we should be careful."

"Indeed. We shall proceed with caution."

Teal'c followed Daniel Jackson through the passageway, remaining both watchful of his friend and their surroundings. The night vision goggles helped them in their pursuit through the darkness, though Teal'c did not enjoy the greenness that flooded his vision. He told his friend the same.

"It's because human sensitivity peaks in the green region of the optical spectrum," Daniel explained to him as they began to climb another staircase.

"I am not human."

"I am guessing you are close enough. You'd have to talk to Sam about that. Oh." Daniel Jackson stopped at the top of the stairwell and pivoted, bringing his weapon closer to his body. "I'm picking up something…"

Immediately, Teal'c readied his gun. He waited, listening through the dark and silence.

A screeching.

Teal'c stepped forward, focused solely ahead of him, concentrating on the sound. He opened fire.

There was another screech and a hiss, followed by the patter of tiny feet as they scurried away.

"Oh. It was a rat," Daniel Jackson said. He slowed his pace as they entered another large hallway, this one possessing some light. They both took off their goggles, but Daniel Jackson did not press farther.

"Are you well?"

Daniel Jackson nodded, but Teal'c could see the distress in his features. "I think you're right, Teal'c. This place obviously hasn't been occupied in a long time. This feels more and more like a trap every second."

Teal'c stopped and raised his P-90. "I did not divulge this information to you."

Daniel Jackson stared at him. "No, but I do know you well enough to read it in your face."

Teal'c nodded and lowered his weapon. Perhaps he was too distrustful of his friend.

Abruptly, Daniel Jackson pressed his hand to Teal'c's chest. "Wait. I'm picking up on something…not a rat." He jogged a few paces, stopping in front of a closed set of large doors. "There are people inside."

"You believe it to be Doctor Fraiser."

"I have to take that chance."

"Daniel Jackson!" His friend rattled the door handles and stepped inside before Teal'c could reach him. Teal'c pursued him, dashing toward the doors only to be horrified as they slammed in front of his face, barring him from access to his friend and what lay on the other side. He shook the doors.

"Daniel Jackson!"

* * *

"And you're sure?" 

"I am certain, O'Neill."

"Dammit, try to get in there." Jack shook his head. He knew this was a bad idea. Jack grabbed his radio again. "Daniel? Daniel, are you there? It's O'Neill. Over.

Nothing. Of course.

"Daniel, dammit, answer me!"

Still nothing.

Screw it. Jack tried a different approach. "Mitchell, Carter, we have a situation."

"This is Mitchell. What's the problem?"

"Daniel's locked in some room. Possibly with some Priors. I need for you to double back to my position so I can go after them."

"Negative, sir." That was Carter. "There's a catwalk that crosses over to the west side of the palace. We can pick up Teal'c's trail and meet him at his current position."

"Roger that, Carter. Proceed."

Jack scowled, crossing from one side of the staircase to the other. So far, he and his men hadn't encountered any resistance, but Teal'c's distress call left him on edge. Jack was starting to consider the possibility that this wasn't really about Fraiser at all. The Ori wanted something from Daniel and for them to take elaborate steps to ensnare him meant it was pretty damn big.

"Is it bad, General?"

Jack stopped his pacing to catch a glimpse of Coleman. "Not yet. Just stay alert."

He was about to resume his guard when he heard Reynolds call out to him. "General, you want to come take a look at this?"

Jack instructed Coleman to stay put before he jogged down the steps to meet Reynolds by the main entrance. Reynolds and Reed were eyeing something in the corner, but Jack couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"What?" he asked.

"It looks like a rat," Captain Reed said.

He glared at them. They called him down to look at a rat. "You're joking."

"At least I think it's a rat," she muttered.

Some rat. The thing had three eyes, fur that looked like the spines on a porcupine, and a tale as long as a snake.

"How come our scanners didn't pick up on these?" Reynolds asked. They watched as the creature scurried away.

Jack didn't know. He wasn't a scientist. And he wasn't going to call Carter to ask.

"They're alien," Jack said. "That's good enough for me."

It wasn't good enough for him, but that would have to do. If the rat-things had managed to originally evade their thermal and optical equipment, then who knew what else was lurking in the building. Jack slid his goggles back over his eyes and adjusted the settings.

"Crap!" he shouted.

The walls were teeming with them. Crawling, pushing, tumbling all over each other. It gave him flashbacks to the reports he'd read on the bugs that had overrun the Gamma Site. Jack tore the goggles off his head.

"They're in the walls," Jack said, fumbling through his vest pockets. "Tons of them."

"What?" Reynolds paled.

"Coleman," Jack called. "Be on the lookout for—"

He froze, watching as Coleman stared down one of the rats. He had his weapon drawn and pointed on the creature. The thing remained quiet, its long snake tail slithering back and forth as it watched him.

Quietly, Jack steadied his weapon and aimed for the little rat-bastard. Keeping his pace slow and deliberate, Jack started his approach on Coleman and the rat.

"Get lost." Coleman pulled a fake lunge at the creature and spit at it.

The creature growled – so not a rat – before it reared on its hind legs. Jack marched toward the stairs, increasing his pace. He wasn't too keen on the way the thing was acting.

It growled again, and then hissed. Jack geared up for a clean shot when suddenly the rat-thing belched, spraying a stream of liquid onto Coleman. The major screamed, dropping his gun before pulling at his jacket. The creature darted away.

"Dammit," Jack muttered, running up the stairs. "Coleman?"

"It burns." He sucked in a deep breath, gasping as he looked down at his vest. The liquid was eating through his clothes. Jack didn't even want to scare the guy with what was going on with his hands. "God…hurts."

"Acid or something." Jack motioned for Willis. "I need you to get up here and help Coleman."

Jack moved out of the way to let SG-3's medic take control. He hopped down the steps and rejoined Reed and Reynolds.

"What the hell were those things?" Reynolds asked.

"I don't know. But I don't think it's a coincidence." Jack grabbed his radio. "Feretti, do you copy? Over."

"Yes, sir."

"We have a possible situation on our hands. Is the Gate secure?"

"No problems by the Gate, sir. We're ready and waiting. Over."

"Good." Jack rubbed his forehead. "Be on the lookout for little…" How the heck was he going to describe them? "Look out for alien rats. Don't argue with me; just make sure that you do not engage. Repeat, do not engage. Are you equipped with shock grenades?"

"Yes, sir. Should we deploy?"

"Prepare them just in case. O'Neill out."

Jack glanced back at Willis, making sure that his six was covered. So far, no sign of the squirmy little vermin. Though, Jack didn't like the color in Coleman's face.

He turned to his radio again. "Carter, Mitchell, did you get all that? Teal'c? Daniel? This is O'Neill."

"We copy, sir," Carter answered. "We'll be on the lookout for any strange creatures that might be in the area."

"They're in the walls, Carter. Be careful."

"Copy that, sir. We're approaching Teal'c's last known position now. Carter out."

No answer from Daniel or Teal'c. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

"General!" Reynolds shouted.

Jack spun around and aimed his weapon, searching the floor. He could hear the rats scratching and hissing inside the walls, their movements sounding more aggressive, more frantic. Some of the material that held the walls together started to flake and crumble.

"This is bad, isn't it?" Reed asked, her voice trembling.

"Oh, it's bad." Jack double-checked his backup clips. "Everyone on guard. We're holding down the fort and not leaving until SG-1 is safe and secure."

* * *

Sam and Cameron jogged down the corridor, breaking for the large double doors that were set near the end of the hall. From her vantage point, Sam could see the doors had been opened, which meant Teal'c must have been successful. Or he and Daniel could both be dead. 

_Don't think that way, Sam,_ she told herself.

"Hurry, Sam," Cameron said, stopping to search the corridor. "I can hear the little gremlins munching through the walls."

She sprinted ahead of Cameron, charging for the double doors with her weapon locked and loaded. As she came to the opening, she stopped and aimed her P-90.

"Weapons down, now!" she yelled.

Her military training kicked in, helping to keep the shock from crippling her resolve. Teal'c had his weapon aimed on Daniel, who in turn was holding a Prior's staff and his P9-0. Janet and a Prior stood by the window.

"He is not himself," Teal'c said, remaining where he stood.

"Don't listen to him, Sam," Daniel called back. "It's not what it looks like. I'm only trying to help."

"It looks like you're holding a Prior's staff, Jackson," Cameron said.

"Put the weapon down, Daniel," Sam repeated.

"As long as I have this, the Prior can't do anything," Daniel said. Sam watched him, knowing that what he said was a lie and wondered if he was doing it for Janet's benefit. The Prior's powers were localized in a certain portion of his brain and only augmented by the staff. What Daniel was doing was trying to even the playing field, she realized as he started to inch toward the window. "The Priors aren't infinitely powerful, Janet," Daniel continued. "They might seem to want to help, and I believe they truly believe that, too. But they are just willing slaves to the Ori."

"The Ori only want to save us, like they saved me," Janet said, her voice powerful and controlled.

"He's telling you the truth," Sam said, beginning to inch towards the Prior, Daniel, and Janet. Teal'c joined her while Cameron remained by the door. "We've seen what the Ori can do. Janet, we wouldn't lie to you." She met her friend's gaze, trying to make her understand somehow. All that they had been through together…"I wouldn't lie to you."

"The wicked tell you lies!" the Prior shouted.

"Shut up!" Daniel yelled back, shaking his gun.

"Your friends speak falsehoods to you," the Prior said, urging Janet to his side. "They did not save you. They could not save you. Only through the power of the Ori were you raised. Hallowed be the Ori!"

"You cannot believe the words of the Ori, Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c and Sam crept closer. "The Priors, through the Ori, will turn a person against their own people. I have witnessed this with my own eyes."

"He's not lying," Cameron added. "Women, children, innocent people – doesn't matter. Whatever works for the Ori."

"It is the will of the Ori," the Prior said simply.

"It's the will of the Ori to kill children?" Daniel asked. "To kill innocent men and women? To slaughter entire populations?"

Janet eyed the Prior and then returned her gaze to SG-1, the hesitation embedded in her face. Sam felt a twinge of hope. Janet was cracking.

"Janet, please come back with us," Sam said, pleading with her eyes. "We can sit down and talk."

"You've got a scared and lonely kid at home that loves you and misses you very much," Cameron added. "Don't turn your back on that."

"Cassandra," Janet whispered.

"Yes, Cassandra," Daniel said. Sam didn't miss that the distance between him and the Prior was decreasing rapidly, a fact that started to make her very uneasy. "At least come back with us so that we can show you," Daniel continued. "Then, you can make up your mind. But it has to be your mind. No one else's."

"Would you not like to see your daughter?" Teal'c asked.

Janet shifted her weight anxiously. "I –"

"Daniel," Sam cried. "Watch out!"

The Prior thrust his arm forward, attempting to call the staff to his hands. But Daniel wouldn't let go. He winced, pulling back as he struggled against the Prior's power while he tried to steady his gun at the same time. Daniel grunted, stumbling backwards, before he was hurdled forward by the force of the Prior's command. Daniel crashed into the Prior, collided into the window. Sam held her breath, hoping it would keep, following their every movement with her gun. Finally, the two moved away from the window, banging into the walls and the table. Sam still couldn't get a clear shot.

In the meantime, Janet had made a break for the door. "Teal'c!" Sam called.

Teal'c darted after Janet while Cameron blocked the doorway. She heard the distinct sound of a zat firing and a thump as Janet's body hit the ground.

One less problem to think about. Sam circled Daniel and the Prior, ready for any possible window of opportunity.

"Daniel, his staff!"

"I know." Daniel dropped his weapon and pushed at the Prior's face, digging his hand into his skin as he cemented his vice-like grip on the staff. But the Prior wouldn't back off. Sam was starting to wonder if the Ori made them incapable of feeling pain or least increasing their tolerance for pain.

Scratch…

Daniel and the Prior smacked into the wall again. With a grunt, Daniel overpowered the Prior, smashing the stone-crystal of his staff on the wall above their heads. The useless weapon fell to the floor. Sam immediately rushed to Daniel's side, pinning the Prior in place.

Scratch, scratch, scratch…

"What the hell was that?" Daniel breathed.

"Aw, hell," Cameron said. "It's them."

"Daniel, we have to leave," Sam said. She gave the Prior a good shove before tossing him in the corner.

"It does not matter what you do with me," the Prior said, his milky eyes seeing through her. "May your wicked ways be the death of you. You shall see the true might and power of the Ori."

"The rats?" Cameron asked. Sam stole a glance back at him and Teal'c. Teal'c had already scooped up Janet and tossed her over his shoulder.

The Prior smiled. It wasn't malicious or even arrogant. Sam thought Daniel was right. These people truly believed in the Ori.

"There will come the day when you shall join with us," the Prior told Daniel.

"Not likely," Daniel muttered, grabbing his gun.

"You know it. You can feel it. It is the will of the Ori."

"Tell the Ori to shove it," Sam said, scowling at the Prior. She nudged Daniel with her shoulder. "Let's go."

Cameron and Teal'c slipped out of the room with Sam and Daniel close at their heels. Quickly, Sam filled them in on everything that she knew so far as the four of them hurried to the foyer on the entrance level.

* * *

Jack shot another round into the floor, driving the rat-things back a few steps. As he reloaded, Reynolds took his place, firing to keep the creatures at bay. Willis and Reed held their own on either side of Jack and Reynolds. 

"General, we can't hold this position forever," Reynolds said. He fired again. "They're getting brave."

Jack knew that it would be suicide to stay. He glanced over to Coleman's dead body sprawled across the stairs. He'd already lost one good man. He wasn't about to let SG-1 end that way.

Jack grabbed his radio. "Sierra Gulf One Niner, get your asses down here now!" Jack slammed a new clip into his P-90 and fired another round at the spitters.

The creeps were literally pouring out of holes in the walls. Somehow they'd gnawed through both plaster and stone, just adding to the wonderful and bizarre feats they could perform, aside from the nice little spitting maneuver. Jack wasn't interested in seeing how those teeth of theirs worked on bone.

Even the combined power from the four of them seemed to do little damage. For every sucker they blasted or scared away, five more would come running in to take his place. And Reynolds was right; they were getting braver and downright nasty.

A group of them belched and hissed, sending waves of acid onto the floor just diagonal to their location. Jack eyed the area warily, noting how quickly the liquid ate away the stone. Whatever the stuff was, it seemed to eat through everything. Wasn't that special.

That's when he saw them. Mitchell and Teal'c were leading the pack, storming their way across the balcony as they headed for the stairs. Jack could see that Teal'c had managed to grab Fraiser. Score one for the big guy.

Daniel and Carter were bringing up the rear, firing at something Jack couldn't see. He didn't need to guess what was hot on their tails.

"Clear a path for SG-1!" Jack shouted, changing his position and aiming for the base of the stairs.

Willis and Reed did the same, while Reynolds continued to fire a round to keep back the strays that were breaking off from the pack. The rats backed off, for the moment at least, as more continued to pour through the holes.

"Get moving!" Jack yelled.

Mitchell thundered down the staircase, firing left and right before he jumped the last few steps. He spun around, backing into SG-3 while firing into the crowd.

Teal'c hurried down after him, slowed considerably by the weight from carrying Fraiser. He raised his P-90 and fired a devastating round to his left. Then, he made a break for SG-3, allowing them to cover him.

The rats were moving in fast and hard. Carter and Daniel weren't going to make it.

Jack lowered his weapon, slinging it over his shoulder and went for his zat. Stepping forward, he started zatting the hell out of everything he saw, multiple times. The spitters lurched, convulsed, died and disappeared, not necessarily in that order.

He turned to another section, zatting anything that he could. "Go!"

Carter and Daniel stomped down the stairs, shooting at the little monsters that were yapping at their heels. When in the clear, Carter surged forward, pummeling any of the rats that got in her way.

Daniel followed her, but slowed as he reached the end of the set of stairs. Jack swore when he saw Daniel start to head back up the stairs.

"Jackson!" Mitchell called.

Daniel grabbed onto Coleman's arms and started to drag him down the stairs. Jack understood exactly what he was trying to do.

"It's too late, Daniel. We've got to go."

"We can't leave him," Daniel said with a grunt. "We've left too many of them behind."

Jack knew better than anyone the importance of never leaving a man behind. Hell, he'd instilled that number one rule into his team long ago. But this was neither the time nor place.

Jack moved onward, zatting as many as he could. Yet, they continued to flood the room. How many of them were there?

"Daniel, we have got to go," Jack said, moving to hit one that jumped over Daniel's head. He turned to his left. "Carter, watch your back!"

She spun around, facing one of the spitters that had jumped and become airborne, leaping towards her face. With a grunt, Carter smacked the rat with the butt of her gun and then gave it a ferocious kick, sending the thing flying straight across the room. It yelped in pain as it smacked against one of the inner columns.

"I've got him," Daniel said as he made it onto the floor. "I can—"

Daniel jerked back, moaning as Coleman's body burst into flames. Daniel made a hissing sound through his teeth, and he slapped his hand against his thigh, causing Jack concern as he considered the sudden outburst. But as Daniel made his way back to the rest of SG-1 and SG-3, he could see the flames on Daniel's cuff begin to snuff out into nothing.

Jack fell back to their original position. "You all right?" he asked all of them.

"We're fine, sir," Carter said.

"Just a burn," Daniel muttered.

"What are they?" Reynolds asked.

"The bastard children of a snake and mutant spider, I reckon," Mitchell said, backing away.

When they realized they had enough time to make for the exit, SG-1 and what was left of SG-3 joined Jack in breaking for the Gate. As they passed through the doors, Jack saw Carter slap a slab of C-4 on the wall. They ran down the pathway, grunting and heavy with sweat. Jack could hear the vermin rushing after them; the rats' distinctive patter filled the void behind them as they scurried toward the Gate. Occasionally, Jack and Reynolds would stop to fire into the darkness, trying to eliminate as many of the monsters as they could.

Carter hit the switch.

The explosion was brilliant enough, obliterating the doors and setting fire to the front of the palace. It bought them some time, though Jack could still hear the rats coming.

"Didn't we just do this a few weeks ago?" Mitchell complained, pausing to pick off a few rats before he sprinted to catch up with the rest of them. Jack paused to take his place, firing another round into the sketchy little creeps.

This wasn't going to work. The screeching rippled through the darkness from their left and right, not just from behind.

He'd be damned if they were going to die at the hands of some wannabe replicators.

"Down, down, down!" Jack yelled, waving his hand for them to stay clear. He grabbed a grenade from his belt, bit off the pin, and tossed the grenade into the heart of the pack.

The entire ground shook from the blast. Jack grinned proudly as earth, stone and bits of vermin were tossed into the air. The screeching sound of pain and death was music to his ears.

More screeching.

"Dammit."

They charged for the Gate, no longer looking back as the sound of the spitters filled the air. Jack knew they were surrounded with the little bastards coming at them from every angle. They needed off this rock, and they needed to get off now.

"Sir, what's going on?" Feretti asked.

"Shock grenade," Jack told him. He nudged Daniel over to the DHD. "Start dialing. No, not the SGC. Don't we have a medical base on that planet full of pink trees?"

"PJ8-477?"

"Whatever, just dial." Jack moved back over to Carter and Mitchell, offering them some backup. The three of them fired to their left, while Willis, Reed, and Reynolds concentrated their fire to their right. Feretti and his team provided cover on their six. Teal'c remained in the center, holding Fraiser.

Jack heard the Gate start to dial. "Feretti?"

"Ready."

"All right," Jack said. "On my count, turn away. One, two… now!"

Feretti tossed the shock grenade into the darkness while they all turned their backs to the palace and closed their eyes. Jack winced from the high-pitched whine, but was heartened to hear the sound of several thumps in the distance.

They began to fire again.

The Gate sprung to life.

"This is Daniel Jackson of SG-1. We have a medical situation. We're coming in hot. Please prepare for arrival."

Jack waited until he saw Daniel send the correct GDO signal and then motioned for everyone to fall back. They made a mad rush for the event horizon, allowing it to swallow them whole, knowing the creatures were just a breath away.

The last thing Jack heard before he was fragmented into a billions pieces was the belch and hiss of the rat-things behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Welcome back," Hank said.

The three teams exited the Stargate and started down the ramp, bringing with them an unhappily bound woman. She sneered at him.

She looked like Fraiser. Hank couldn't really tell the difference either way.

"We lost Coleman," Jack said, sounding tired. He passed him a handful of files. "Care of Colonel Howard. Those are the latest medical results on all of us."

"I still want to have a look at you," Carolyn said. "Just as a precaution."

Hank nodded. He wasn't taking any chances. Between the Prior attack, the incident on the planet, and the nishta problem, continued exams seemed the best course of action. "Report to the infirmary," he told them, his gaze lingering on Mitchell and Daniel. "Jonas Quinn is already being examined." He leaned close to Carolyn. "And when you're done with Fraiser, get her down to holding. I want her under guard."

Carolyn nodded and left, leading the teams toward the infirmary. Hank hoped they could nip this problem in the bud soon.

* * *

"They were rats?" Hank asked. 

"Close enough," Jack said.

"They were a species we've never encountered before, sir," Carter said.

"None of them followed you to the base?" Hank asked.

Teal'c raised his head. "They did not."

"Nope. As soon as we made it onto the medical site, Howard shut down the Gate. We had the pleasure of listening to hundreds of those things hurling themselves at the iris," Jack said with smug satisfaction.

The truth was if he never saw a rat again, it would be too soon. The entire time they'd been examined Carter had prattled on about the acid-something the creatures kept spitting and how it was impossible that a living creature could wield something that strong without corroding its insides. Jack had said they were alien. Then, Daniel had jumped into the mix, and he'd just gotten fed up by that point. While the two of them debated the topic, he, Mitchell, and Teal'c had talked baseball.

Jack grinned. Reminded him of old times.

Hank wasn't done with the conversation. "Is it possible they were the reason why the Gate was previously locked? Or could the Ori have placed them there as a trap?"

"I'm leaning toward the latter," Jack said, picking at the edge of the table.

"It's possible the Prior picked this particular world because they knew of the threat and they knew we'd follow," Mitchell added.

"They had Janet," Daniel said. "They knew we'd take the bait. They have no limits."

The Goa'uld didn't have limits, either. But at least when they threw something at them, it was an asteroid or some funky alien technology. Not alien rats.

Jack scowled. "Nice way to get us out of their hair, wouldn't you say?"

"I've locked that particular planet out of the dialing computer," Hank said. "We shouldn't have any more incidents."

Jack hoped that was it. They didn't need any more problems.

"How about your investigation into the Nishta Project. Got anything new?" Jack asked.

Hank sighed. "Agent Barrett reports that he is still being stonewalled in his investigation."

"That's a shocker," Jack said, groaning. This just wasn't acceptable. "I want to talk to him."

Hank paused, eyeing Jack closely before finally giving way. He called for Barrett and waited for the NID agent to arrive.

Jack leaned back in his chair, assessing his friends and old teammates. They all looked as tired as he felt. Now that they had Fraiser in custody, he was tempted to let them take five. But he still had nothing concrete to use in his meeting with the IOA. And he was running out of time. He had less than two days to gather some intel – any kind of information – that could help smack these pencil pushers into using some common sense.

Jack didn't bother to straighten himself when Barrett entered the room. The NID agent took a seat next to Carter – not surprisingly – and waited to be addressed.

"What can you tell me about the Nishta Project?" Jack asked.

"Not much," Barrett admitted. "The NID seem to have wiped out any trace or connection with Joseph Owens other than what we've already uncovered. Aside from our source, Area 51 denies any link between Owens and the Nishta Project." He shook his head. "I've gotten in touch with some of my contacts in Washington and in the White House but they haven't been able to tell me anything."

"Who are these contacts?" Hank asked.

"I'm afraid I can't reveal my sources," Barrett said.

"Of course you can't."

"General O'Neill, I need for my sources to come through. They are not going to be forthcoming if they know that I've violated our trust."

"Let me guess. These contacts aren't exactly legal," Jack said.

"Like I said, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty," Barrett said evenly. "Don't worry," he added. "I won't reveal any information about the SGC."

"I'm telling you it would be a whole lot easier if we could just use the nishta on Owens to get some answers," Jack mumbled.

Everyone stared at him like he'd said the most offensive thing ever.

Daniel glared at him, a mix of anger and disbelief. "You can't be serious?"

"Hey, I never said we'd _do_ it. I'm just saying."

"That would make us no better than the Goa'uld, the Ori, or the people we're trying to fight in our own government," Daniel said, his face tense.

Jack shrugged, but felt a little more relaxed inside. That sure sounded like the Daniel he knew. "We'll just have to keep digging for answers," Jack said, hoping that would placate Daniel and the rest of them.

But Daniel had already jumped onto something else.

"I don't understand," Daniel said. He licked his lips and leaned forward, moving into Barrett's line of sight. "Owens' work on the project was under a presidential order. That would mean this is linked directly to the President or the Vice President. Can't you find out if this is connected to them?"

"It's not that simple, Doctor Jackson."

"I'm not saying it is. I'm just pointing out the most logical step."

"I'm sure Agent Barrett is looking into everything, Daniel," Carter said, offering him a small supportive smile.

"I've already been in touch with General Hammond several times," Barrett explained. "He's running into similar roadblocks, even with his clearance."

"Hammond reports to the President and the Joint Chiefs," Jack said. "And he works as a consultant for me." If George couldn't get any answers…well, Jack didn't want to think about it.

"The man doesn't know the meaning of the word retirement, does he?" Mitchell said with a chuckle.

"General Hammond said he was going to try a few other avenues before he flies out to Colorado," Barrett said. "Meanwhile, I'll check in with my contacts and see what I can do."

"Thank you, Agent Barrett," Hank said. They watched him dismiss himself before he was escorted back to his office. Hank returned his attention back to the briefing room. "Anything else?"

"Janet's obviously brainwashed. I'd like to talk to her, see if I can help her remember," Daniel said.

Hank didn't say anything, and Jack couldn't blame him. Neither Jack nor Hank thought that was the best idea, given the fact they were still waiting to conclusively verify Jonas, Mitchell, and Daniel weren't going to go nuts on them.

Daniel sighed in frustration. "Look, you can keep me on guard. Send a whole troop with me. But if I can get through to her, we could get some valuable information on the Ori."

Damn, Daniel knew how to push all the right buttons. Jack glanced over to Hank.

"All right," Hank said. "But you will remain under guard, and you will report to Doctor Lam for your bi-hourly exams. Dismissed."

Daniel jumped to his feet and practically ran out of the room. If Jack had blinked, he would have missed him.

"How's Jonas?' Jack asked, still staring at the empty spot Daniel had left behind.

"Communicating with First Minister Dreylock and looking for anything additional that will help both our worlds fight the Ori. So far, neither of them is exhibiting any symptoms that would indicate a plague or what happened to the Sodan."

Jack turned to glare at Mitchell.

"I haven't developed a taste for brains, if that's what you're thinking," Mitchell muttered.

_Not yet, anyway_, Jack thought to himself. His gaze fell to Carter. "And that stuff you brought back with you from Area 51?"

"Still under examination," she said. "Doctor Lee is working with the biochemical staff to try to figure out its makeup."

"Lee?" Jack frowned. "What the hell kind of scientist is he, anyway?" Seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer, Jack continued. "Whatever. I think we should check on their progress."

"Actually, sirs, I'd like to head back to Area 51 and see what breakthroughs Doctor Emerson might be making," Carter said, eyeing both Hank and Jack hopefully. "Her research could help us with our own pursuits."

"Agreed," Hank said.

"You're not going alone," Jack added.

"I'll go with her," Mitchell said.

Jack glared at him again.

"Aw, come on now!"

"Colonel Mitchell, I agree with General O'Neill. You need to stay on the base." Hank raised his hand, trying to ease Mitchell. "Just a precaution."

"I will accompany Colonel Carter," Teal'c offered.

"Perfect," Jack said. Teal'c was intimidating enough for all of them. He nodded to Hank, and the both of them rose to their feet. Mitchell and Carter followed suit. "Get down to Area 51 and see what you can find. Mitchell, you come with me."

"Where we going?" Mitchell asked, following Jack out of the room.

"We're going to pay Lee a little visit and see if we can 'urge' him to work a little faster," Jack said, smirking.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Daniel entered the holding area, walking slowly, only glancing over his shoulder when the door shut behind him and his escort. Quietly, he started to move toward the occupied cell. Funny how everything he had practiced saying slipped from his mind, leaving him feeling empty and vapid. He considered whether all his energy and drive had just been a rush of adrenaline, all of which was now spent. Instead, he was faced with the reality of the situation – the shock and the grief.

She was standing there like she'd never left.

"Janet," he said, his voice soft.

"I can decide with my own mind?" She laughed, but it wasn't a gentle, cheerful laugh like the ones he'd grown to miss. It was cold, harsh, biting. "I'm just another one of your prisoners now."

"No, no, Janet—"

"No, you listen to me." She stepped up to the bars that separated them, her dark eyes as cold as ice. "If you have any respect for my well-being and my mind, you'll let me go."

"We can't."

"Then, I am a prisoner."

Daniel sighed with frustration, turning his gaze to the ceiling as he tried to organize his thoughts. "Janet, you're not in your right mind," he said. He dipped his head and searched her. "The Ori have—"

"Have done what? Brainwashed me? Is that what you think this is about?" She laughed at him again. "You're the one that has been duped, Daniel. It's not the Ori we need to worry about. It's ourselves."

"Oh, it's ourselves," Daniel said, starting to pace in front of the cell. "So, we're having a philosophical debate now?"

"You lost all credibility in this conversation when you took me prisoner!" she yelled, glowering at him.

"The Janet that I knew – that we all knew – wouldn't talk this way. She cared about people. She didn't align herself with people that went around killing those who didn't agree with them!"

"Oh, no? And what has the SGC been doing since its inception? Anything different? You tell me!"

"It's different!" Daniel shouted back. "Our Janet would know what we are doing is _right_."

"And who are you to judge what is right and wrong? You talk of the Ori forcing others to believe in their powers. But what about you? Isn't that what you're doing right now? Trying to force me to believe what you believe?" She shook her head. "You're arrogant, Daniel. You always have been. You've made it your life's work to make people see what you see."

"That's not true."

"Did I hit a nerve? I think I did," she said with a smug smile. "The Ori showed me the truth, Daniel. I believe it because _I_ believe it, not because they forced me."

"They're lying," he said, balling his fights. He was trying to hold back. God, he was trying. "Janet, I have seen the Ori slaughter people whose only sin was that they didn't believe exactly what the Ori were telling them! They burned an innocent woman right in front of my eyes and tried to do the same to me! They killed a man for daring to want to know about his history, his past. Are you telling me that anyone is deserving of that kind of cruelty?"

Janet fell silent and turned away. Daniel stared after her, wondering just what kind of game the Ori were playing with him. Was this their way at getting even with him? What else could they do?

"The Ori were there for me, Daniel," she said quietly, her back still to him. "They brought me back from nothingness. Where were you? Sam? Where was anyone? You left me dead on that planet."

"I tried to take you back," Daniel said, struggling to control his voice. "We couldn't carry both the dead and the wounded. We were under heavy fire. I tried."

Janet did not move.

"When we came back for you, the Jaffa had burned the body and scattered the ashes." He bowed his head, fighting off the pain of the memory. There had been nothing left. Only her dog tags had remained, stuck between a rock and a tree root. She was gone and she wasn't coming back. Slowly, Daniel raised his head, grinding his jaw as his gaze settled on her back. "Who are you?"

"Maybe you should ask yourself that same question."

* * *

Cameron tried to keep from yawning as he followed General O'Neill and their escort into one of the labs along the science corridor. It wasn't that he hated science, just sometimes the really big stuff went over his head. Half of what Sam said went over his head. But he liked the scientists. They always seemed so upbeat over all their work, even the really annoying stuff. 

"Yo, Doctor Lee, you got yourself some company!" Cameron shouted, grinning as he watched the scientists scatter.

"Gen-General O'Neill?" Lee stuttered, nearly knocking over a beaker. He straightened himself out and adjusted his glasses. "Why it is—I knew you were coming, but I didn't expect it so soon."

Lee laughed for apparently no reason and nodded his head as he evaluated O'Neill. Cameron had no clue what he was doing.

"Just coming to see how things are progressing," O'Neill said in a bored tone, tapping his fingers on the counter top. "What's the status?"

"Oh, oh, you mean the drug," Lee said with another nod. "Right, you see we've been trying to isolate some of the more basic chemical compounds from the more complex ones, which is very hard given the staffing and the cutbacks—"

"Ah!" O'Neill shouted. He looked over to Cameron and rolled his eyes.

"Just answer the question," Cameron said before the general could beat him to chase.

Lee shook his head. "Oh, yes, naturally…Well, er, maybe. Uh…no. No."

General O'Neill stepped closer to Lee, towering over the little man. Mitchell suddenly understood how funnyman O'Neill got the reputation for being menacing. "Look, I don't need to remind you that a lot is riding on you and the rest of your buddies to find a cure. People we know might get infected with nishta and believe me, it won't be pretty."

"Oh, I know, General." He cleared his throat, taking a few small steps away from them. "It's too bad we didn't have Doctor Fraiser to help," he muttered. "She had a pretty good background studying nishta."

O'Neill turned his back on Lee and headed straight for the door. Cameron hesitated, passing Lee an apologetic look before he ran after O'Neill. He was already heading toward the elevators.

"I'm going to see if I can talk some sense into Fraiser." O'Neill told him before he'd even asked. He swiped his card through the reader, waiting for the door to open. "I want you to report to Landry. Give him a status report." He turned to the soldier that had followed them. "Airman, you stay with Mitchell."

O'Neill didn't even wait for an answer. He walked into the elevator and closed the doors. Cameron shrugged and started back toward the labs, his escort in tow, ready to call Landry so that he could get down to his next exam.

* * *

"Hello? Doctor Emerson? It's Sam Carter." 

They stepped into the laboratory, certain to be quiet and careful. The lights were functioning while many of the workstations had papers strewn in every direction, adjacent to several buzzing computer screens. Yet, the facility appeared to be empty.

"She must have stepped out for a minute," Colonel Carter said.

Teal'c had moved ahead, studying the contents found on table to table, pausing every so often to stare at the items more closely. As could be expected, nothing of importance remained in the open – only a few empty vials and half formed equations. After he was finished, he clasped his hands behind his back and started walking down one of the rows back to where he had left Colonel Carter.

"I do not like this room," he told her, keeping his voice just above a whisper.

"I know," she said. "We won't be here long."

"Colonel!" A woman called out, appearing from one of the small side rooms that branched off from the main work area. He presumed her to be Doctor Emerson. She finished wiping her hands on a paper towel before tossing it into a nearby trash barrel. "I wasn't expecting you to come by so soon."

"When I informed my superiors about your continued success here, they wanted me to fly back out to Nevada and speak with you to see if there's anything else we can do to help…speed along your progress."

Doctor Emerson glanced at the camera, and with a quick pivot, she turned to one of the counter tops, suddenly looking busy. "I'm glad the SGC is so interested in our work here." She opened one of the drawers and withdrew a few blank sheets of paper. "Things aren't going well, I take it," she whispered as she worked.

"No," Colonel Carter said, her voice quiet. "We could use your help."

"There's not much I can do. They're watching me."

"Whatever assistance you need…"

"We can protect you," Teal'c said.

Doctor Emerson forced a weak smile. "They watch everything. I have to be careful how much time I devote to the Nishta Project while undermining the entire thing. I can't work solely on the antidote." She sighed. "They'll know."

"Is there not something we can do to assist you in your endeavors?"

Doctor Emerson shook her head, sighing again as she slipped her hands into her lab coat pockets. "No. I don't know."

"Have you made any breakthroughs?" Colonel Carter asked.

"The form of nishta we created here in the lab is a highly resilient compound. Its organic bonds are extremely resistant to any manipulation, which is exactly why it can be so successful. Trying to find a weakness in its structure is proving difficult."

Teal'c looked away, studying the lab as the two women spoke. To this day, he still did not understand the need for humans to continue to create weapons or substances that could in turn hurt themselves. It was true that the Jaffa fought, brother against brother, but they did battle with their minds and their strength. In the end, however they fought, it was true to the Jaffa.

Not so with the Tau'ri.

"Well, maybe we're going about this wrong," he heard Colonel Carter say. "What about the victims? How about sending an electric charge through their bodies? I know the form that was created in the lab is not fully organic, but maybe it could weaken the nishta."

"We tried that. The dose of electricity needed to short circuit any of the bonds between the nishta and the neural pathways it influences would kill the victim."

"Theoretically," Colonel Carter said.

"We're not about to take a person's life over it."

Teal'c turned his attention back to them. "Have you not been taking people's lives since you started the experiment?"

Doctor Emerson appeared uncomfortable over the statement. As she should be.

"Look, we're not here to point fingers," Colonel Carter said, shooting a warning glare at Teal'c. "We just want to help."

Doctor Emerson nodded. "I know." She jostled her hand in her pocket. "I guess I'm just a little nervous." Her gaze drifted toward the camera.

Colonel Carter's gaze followed hers. But Teal'c's did not.

He watched as Doctor Emerson withdrew a needle from her pocket and in an instant, charged for his friend. "Colonel Carter!" Teal'c shouted, moving between them.

He grabbed her wrist. But she did not stop. Doctor Emerson collided into Teal'c, the needle nearly puncturing his skin. Careful not to cause undue harm, he pushed against Doctor Emerson and subdued her, plucking the syringe from her grasp. Colonel Carter came to his immediate aid, taking the syringe from him.

"They got to her," she said, her voice small. "God, Teal'c."

The news disheartened Teal'c as much as it did his friend. Doctor Emerson had been their best chance at finding a cure for those infected by nishta. Now, they had lost that hope.

"Let me go," Doctor Emerson said, struggling against Teal'c. "Do you really think they're just going to let you waltz out of here now?"

Teal'c understood what Doctor Emerson implied by that statement. When he saw the unease in Colonel Carter's face, he knew that she understood as well.

"Teal'c, we don't know how many personnel at Area 51 might be infected."

"Then, we must depart immediately." He pulled the struggling woman to the far corner of the laboratory. "Please forgive me." He spun her around and caught his arms around her throat, blocking her passageways long enough for her to fall unconscious. When he was certain that she would not follow them, he laid her body to rest on the floor.

Teal'c moved to meet Colonel Carter. They could waste no time in leaving the laboratory. The two of them hurried out of the door and into the corridor.

Teal'c was disappointed, though not surprised, to see a dozen armed security officers waiting for them. Teal'c fully expected them to fire if either he or Colonel Carter made a move.

The man that joined them appeared to be a general.

The general glanced down at the syringe in Colonel Carter's hand. Scowling, he snatched it from her and held it up to the light. "Take them to my office," he said, eyeing the syringe carefully. "And place a lock on this area."

* * *

Jack stepped out of the elevator and started to walk down to holding. He'd since ditched that stuffy uniform for one of the base's BDU's, choosing something that was a little more suited for him while he remained at the SGC. West, Hammond, and even Landry might have loved their dress blues, but then again they hadn't been in the thick of the action. Jack wondered if the same would happen to him. 

Nah. Jack couldn't see it. He'd come to work in jeans if he could.

"O'Neill."

Jack frowned, slowly turning to glance over his shoulder. He blinked and wiped at his eyelids, wondering if he'd gotten dust in his eyes. "Skaara?"

Skaara chuckled, smiling at Jack warmly. "Yes, O'Neill. It is me."

"Skaara, hey," Jack took a step toward him, unable to hold back his enthusiasm. "Long time. You just drop by to chat?"

"I said I would not be seeing you for some time. I believe it has been long enough."

"Great." He clapped his hands together, eyeing Skaara's form, energy. Whatever. "So, how's Ascended life treating you?"

"I have come to warn you."

"I thought you guys couldn't do that."

"The Others are busy."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "When aren't they?"

"I have come to warn you. The answers that you seek may be closer than you think."

"Ah no. No, I don't think so," Jack said, scowling. "You're not going to get around telling me by talking in riddles like Daniel or Oma. You have something to tell me, tell it to me straight."

Skaara hesitated, the apprehension flickering in his eyes.

While Jack appreciated that Ancients like Oma helped people cheat death and pass onto something greater or whatever the hell she did, he didn't like what it did to those people. He'd watched as Daniel became bound by their rules and laws – stupid ones – only to be punished for doing the right thing. Now, Skaara had been sucked into it, too.

"Skaara, just come clean with me."

He looked away, but nodded once. "I will tell you what I can, but no more."

Jack sighed. Damn Ancients.

Skaara refocused his gaze on Jack. Gone was the joy that Jack had witnessed just moments ago. In its place, Jack saw pain, a biting hardness that spoke of knowledge and wisdom that Jack couldn't comprehend. It all seemed so wrong on such a young man's face.

"You must be careful whom you trust, O'Neill," Skaara said.

"What?" Jack stiffened, both shocked and angry, realizing that Skaara was about to leave. "Hey! We're not finished!"

"Beware those closest to you."

Skaara's form blinked out and surged as a stream of white light through the ceiling. He was gone.

"Jack, who are you talking to?"

Jack turned around, attempting to keep his face neutral and not look like someone who had just been caught red handed. "Daniel."

Daniel, along with his escort, walked toward him. Jack didn't miss the suspicion lurking in Daniel's eyes.

"Everything okay?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, yeah. Just peachy." He rubbed his face, ignoring Daniel's ever-present frown. "I was just going to see Fraiser." He breathed out. "How'd that go?"

Daniel sighed. "They've done a number on her, Jack. I don't know how we'll get through to her."

"Well, let me give it a try." Daniel stared at him. Jack rolled his eyes. "What? It can't hurt."

"No, I suppose not."

Jack forced a smile and clapped his hand on Daniel's shoulder as he passed him. He jerked with surprise as Daniel grabbed his arm and wouldn't let go.

"So, who were you just talking to a minute ago?" he asked, still searching Jack's face.

Jack shrugged, wrestling his arm free from Daniel's grip. "No one."

He turned away, starting toward the holding area, leaving Daniel's bewildered and guarded face behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jonas leaned back on the gurney, pulling down his sleeve to cover the bandage. He waved to the nurse as she left and started to flip through the magazines that Teal'c had left for him. At least it gave him something to do while he waited for the SGC to give him the all clear to go home.

Home. As much as he loved it here, he was anxious to go home. Though, he wasn't looking forward to the fallout from the Langaran High Council over this mess.

He considered himself lucky. So far, there was nothing wrong with him or First Minister Dreylock.

As for the people at the SGC…

"This sucks. You know how much this sucks?"

Jonas peered over the top of the magazine to catch Cameron Mitchell fussing over some picture book. The attendant that was waiting on him finished up, bringing his blood sample to Doctor Lam. She had set up her equipment on the far side of the room.

"You have been watching me like a hawk ever since you stepped through the Gate," Mitchell said suddenly, glaring at Jonas. "And you're doing it again. What is your problem?"

"No problem," Jonas said, returning to the magazine. It was too bad they couldn't have stuck him in his old office – Daniel's office – for the time being. At least he would have had something to do.

"Then what is so fascinating about my face?"

Jonas put the magazine down and grinned at Mitchell, wondering what was the matter with this guy. "I think you flatter yourself too much."

"Then why are you smiling like a goat eating briars?"

Jonas frowned, trying to bring up the mental image of a goat eating briars. He couldn't see why a goat would want to eat briars. Though, speaking of eating, Jonas was getting a little hungry.

"Doctor Daniel Jackson, you're late," Jonas heard Lam say.

"I'm here," he said, wearing the worst phony grin Jonas had ever seen.

"Sit down," Lam ordered. She took out a syringe and urged Daniel to roll up his sleeve. "Your turn." She stuck the needle into his arm.

"Jackson, you're just in time," Mitchell said, stealing a not-so-subtle glance over at Jonas. "Quinn and I were having a conversation."

"Don't let me interrupt," Daniel muttered, not even paying the least bit of attention to either of them. He held a small piece of gauze in place as Lam prepared to tape it onto his arm.

"This guy doesn't like me."

"Does it matter?" Daniel asked. He frowned, reached over Mitchell, and grabbed the book. "Southern Living?"

Mitchell snatched it back. "All I'm saying is that we got a lot going on right now and petty squabbles is just going to make things worse."

"Look, I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but either get it out of your system or pretend it's not there." Daniel fixed his shirt and gave a little shake to his arm before continuing. "You're right. We do have a lot going on right now. We don't need to start mistrusting each other on top of it."

"How very Daniel Jackson of you," Lam said. "But not enough to get out of your next MRI. So, move it."

Daniel sighed and hopped off the gurney. "Try talking about something you might have in common…like weather or food."

"Jackson?"

Daniel stopped and looked at Mitchell. "Hmm?"

"Kiss my grits!" he said with a laugh.

Daniel chuckled and followed Lam into another room. Confused, Jonas frowned at Mitchell. "What are grits?"

* * *

"I should have known it wouldn't be too long before you showed up." 

Jack thrust two of his fingers toward the door, signaling for the guard to leave him alone with Fraiser. After the solider closed the door, Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and just stared at her.

"You should know by now that you can't intimidate me," she said. "You never have."

"Yeah, well," Jack said with a shrug. "It was worth a shot."

"So, tell me," Fraiser said, leaning into the bars. "Did I scare Daniel off to the point where he had to send you?"

Jack kept his gaze on her. All the time he'd known Fraiser, he knew that she could be a tough cookie, always one to speak her mind. But she never turned against her friends, unless she believed it to be for their medical benefit. Maybe in some twisted way she was doing the same here, only through the Ori.

"Daniel didn't tell me anything except for the fact that he was worried about you."

She snorted, filling the small room with her haughty laugh. "He won't even listen to me."

"Did you even try to listen to him?"

Fraiser glared at him.

Jack looked away and chewed the inside of his lip. This was why he hated talk. It never led anywhere. "I'm sure Daniel told you about the Ori?" he asked anyway.

"The Ori want to help us."

"Sure they do. Did Daniel tell you that they tried to kill him?"

He noticed the subtle change in her face. Fraiser's smug smile dipped, threatening to turn into a frown. She recovered quickly, presenting him with a scowl instead.

Jack smiled. "Of course he did. Did he tell you that they tried to burn him alive?" She didn't answer. "That's just the start."

"They only want to protect us from ourselves," she said.

"They sent a plague to Earth. It killed thousands of people. They could have easily killed Cassie. That's some protection."

"There had to be a reason," she said quietly. She shifted uneasily. Jack knew he had hit a nerve.

"Cassie. Your daughter."

"She wasn't infected."

Jack sighed to himself. "Not this time, anyway," he said, hanging on the last word as he changed the direction of the conversation. "None of it may matter in the long run."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a frustrated sigh.

"Cassie was attacked this morning by a group of unknowns."

Fraiser's entire composure changed. She grasped the bars, her horror-stricken face as open as a book. "You're lying."

"Wish I was lying." He looked down at his feet and rocked on his heels, allowing Fraiser a moment to recover. "The truth is Cassie is one of many people that are in danger right now," he said as he raised his head. "She's been the target of some folks who possess a nishta compound. We're thinking they intend to brainwash their victims." He gazed hard at Fraiser. "There's no cure."

Fraiser paled. "Is she okay? I want to see her," she demanded, her voice straining.

"She's fine. For now. But who knows for how long." He gave her a pointed look. "Think about it."

Fraiser stiffened, her eyes growing dark. "You're trying to make a deal with me."

Jack shrugged. "Look, Doc, you know I've never been a man of many words. So, let me get to the point. Your new best friends are trying to wipe out our entire civilization if we don't do exactly as they say, and they're either converting or killing off all our allies. As far as I'm concerned, you're either with us or you're against us."

"It's not always black and white, General."

"No, it's not." He knocked on the door. "But you try explaining that to Cassie." He forced a smile and left her to the sentry.

* * *

Hank motioned for the young Jack to close the door. "I trust you have something for me." 

"Depends on how you define something," Jack mumbled, taking a seat across from Hank. He held a small notebook, filled with pages of scribbled notes. Hank eyed them with interest.

"What can you report?"

"They all seem normal as far as I can tell," Jack said. "No one is acting unusual or sneaking around the base, aside from me."

Hank nodded, feeling a little relieved but also disappointed. He didn't want to find a spy among any of the civilians they had detained, but if they could find one it would help relieve some of the tension that had filled the base. He also didn't feel right ordering Jack's clone to spy on any of SG-1's old contacts, but Hank needed to keep tabs on everyone just in case.

"Obviously, this is only a partial list." Jack passed him the list he'd made. "But the people I could get close to seemed either scared, nervous, or bored. The fact you have your daughter taking blood samples scares the hell out of them."

"Colonel Carter said there was a possibility we could detect nishta in their systems if we knew what we were looking for."

"Half the time _we_ missed it. We didn't even catch it in Teal'c's kid, Ry'ac," Jack said. "But if Carter thinks this will help, then it probably will."

Hank nodded. He certainly hoped so. "Colonel Dixon is keeping an eye on those that you couldn't investigate." He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"What?" Jack asked.

"I just don't get it. President Hayes ordered General O'Neill to find him proof that could sway the international community against the Ori. For him to send nishta operatives to undermine the SGC doesn't make any sense."

"It's not Hayes," Jack said simply. "Presidental order or not. If he wasn't happy with the SGC, he could just fire you. And he'd never have promoted General Hammond and then the other me. And, from what you told me, the other one is the person who got you this job."

Hank had already gone through the scenario in his mind. He knew that Jack was right. "Someone else is trying to get a foothold in the SGC."

"Vice President?" Jack asked.

"I've thought of that and it's a possibility. I just can't imagine him being involved in something like this," Hank admitted.

"I didn't think something like the Ori could be possible when I woke up this morning."

Hank chuckled. No, he didn't suppose Jack had expected something like that. "Well, I have a phone conference with the President later today," Hank said. "And Hammond will be arriving shortly. He knows both the President and the Vice President quite well. Maybe we'll get some answers from him. In the meantime, see if you can dig up some more information on our guests."

Jack nodded, but didn't move. Curious, Hank regarded him thoughtfully. "You have something else to say?" Just by reading the sour look on Jack's face, Hank knew. "Ba'al."

"You've told me there could be hundreds of him running around the galaxy. Plus, there's whatever is left of the Trust."

"I've gone over the possibility with SG-1. The problem is that so far neither Colonel Carter nor Agent Barrett have found any suspicious links to Ba'al or any outside organization."

"Maybe they're looking in the wrong places."

Hank leaned forward, interested in Jack's potential line of reasoning. "Like?"

"Unscheduled off-world activation!"

Hank sighed, balling his fists in order to keep his annoyance and anger in check. He stood and walked out of his office, running down the stairs to the control room. Jack's clone followed him, maybe by force of habit or sheer curiosity. Hank couldn't be bothered with the details either way.

"Report," he ordered the chief sergeant.

"We're receiving an off-world transmission," Walter said. He blinked, surprised. "Sir, it's Ba'al."

"Ba'al?" young Jack asked.

"Speak of the devil," Hank muttered.

"You let me talk to him," young Jack said, ordering Walter. "I want to have some words with that bastard."

Walter looked at Jack like he'd lost his mind. He turned to Hank for help.

This was the last thing Hank needed right now. Especially with two Jacks on base. He motioned for Walter to patch Ba'al's communication through. "You stay here," he told Jack. "I'll handle this."

* * *

Sam looked around the office. She noted several diplomas, decorations, and honors lining the walls. But none of them gave her any ideas on how to get out of this jam. 

"Do you know this man?" Teal'c asked.

"General Clark," she replied. "I worked with him when I was part of R&D."

"Can you predict what moves he will take against us?"

"I don't know," she admitted. She wriggled her wrists against the restraints that tied her to her chair. They were tight. She doubted she could work her way out of them on her own. "We have to assume that he's part of this plot."

"I do not see how we can make our escape." Teal'c jerked once against his own restraints. "We must contact the SGC."

Sam glanced over at the phone on the general's desk. There was no way she could reach it from where she was sitting. The chairs were heavy, likely for a reason, and wouldn't budge matter how hard she rocked.

"Whatever we do, we can't be compromised, Teal'c. If they try to infect us, we have to take all steps necessary to countermeasure."

Teal'c regarded her thoughtfully before finally inclining his head in agreement.

She could lose her job if it came down to doing something nasty. She knew a court-martial could be imminent. But the alternative was not something she could handle.

She struggled in her seat. "I can't, Teal'c. Maybe if you pushed—"

"That won't be necessary." General Clark passed them, walking over to the front of his desk. His glare was long, hard. "Colonel Carter and Teal'c. From the SGC." He took a seat. "How nice of you to stop by."

"The SGC is going to call and come looking for us the minute we're overdue," Sam said through clenched teeth.

"I'm counting on it. Maybe then I can ask General Landry why two of his subordinates would want to attack one of my scientists."

"You're joking," she said. "Did you even see the security tape?"

"To me, it looked like the two of you assaulted Doctor Emerson and then tried to inject her with something."

Sam scowled. "Well, obviously you haven't looked hard enough."

He chuckled. "See that right there?" Clark pointed to the ceiling to his right. Sam could see it. There was a small camera blinking, recording their conversation. "Nothing gets by this place. Nothing. I was put in charge to make sure we put an end to security leaks and scientists for hire. I'm not about to have the reputation of Area 51 tarnished anymore." His blue eyes became cold. "Now, you either come clean with me or I'm going to stand by my assessment that you attacked one of my people. Are we clear?"

_Stall_, Sam thought. Just stall.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"You're here about the Nishta Project. I know that much," he said, his gaze never wavering. "This is the second stop you've made in less than two days. This isn't about the SGC throwing their support behind the project. For the NID and the SGC to come in together and check out our facility means there's a leak or there's a problem. As commander of this facility, I need to know what."

Sam considered what he was saying. Maybe if she threw him a bone, she could stall long enough for the SCG to know something was wrong.

"We believe your facility has become involved in a plot to undermine the SGC."

Clark started at her, failing to mask his disbelief. "That's a pretty serious charge. I hope you have some proof to back it up."

She glanced over at Teal'c, silently urging him to take her cue. He raised an eyebrow at her and faced Clark. "It is Doctor Emerson who has attacked us."

"They got to her somehow," Sam explained. "She was going to inject me with the nishta that you've been working on here at Area 51. Or, who knows. Maybe it was something entirely different."

"Who are the infamous 'they'"?

Sam hesitated, shooting a wary look at the camera. She couldn't just come out and accuse Hayes' administration. Nor could she come out and start accusing Ba'al or the Trust.

"You do realize that the Nishta Project was okayed by the President?" Clark asked.

"But did the President authorize its use on innocent civilians, including children, in an attempt to gain access to the SGC?"

Clark blinked at her. If he hadn't believed her before, he certainly didn't believe her now. He shot a threatening look over to Teal'c who in turn did nothing to ease any of the astonishment etched in Clark's face.

"Do you realize what you're saying?" Clark gave her a hard look.

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. I do."

"The SGC will provide confirmation of our story," Teal'c said.

Clark seemed to mull over her argument. Sam was shocked. "I can't tolerate anything sinister going on here," he said.

Sam took her chance. "General, we have no intention of taking over this facility or intruding on your command. It sounds like we're looking for the same answers that you are. Please, let us do our job so that you can do yours."

Sam knew she was resorting to pleading, but it didn't matter at this point. They were long overdue. If they couldn't persuade General Clark to help them, Landry would be following up soon, anyway. They just had to keep their heads above water until then.

He looked to the side and muttered to himself, something Sam couldn't hear. "What do you need?" he asked with a sigh.

"Have you noticed anything suspicious, anything at all, over the course of the past few months?"

Clark shook his head. "Not that I can recall."

"No special visits. Nothing out of the ordinary."

He frowned. "No, everything has gone according to standard procedure."

"Dammit." Sam exhaled, pausing to study the general's face. She was going out on a limb, but she felt it was necessary. "Can we have access to your logs? Nothing beyond the Nishta Project. Just a basic log of anyone who has entered and exited the facility or has been associated with the project."

Clark tapped his fingers on his desk. "That kind of information is confidential."

"I understand, sir," Sam said. "I wouldn't ask if I wasn't necessary."

"You may speak with General Landry if you wish to validate our intentions," Teal'c added.

"We're trying to find a cure to help those who have been infected and stop this from spreading through the government and the military. Please," Sam begged him.

Clark eyed them closely, continuing to tap his fingers on the desk as he thought. Finally, he reached for his phone. "I'll confirm with the SGC. If your story pans out, then I'll provide your command with documents regarding staffing and visitation, as well as any pertinent research we've done on the Nishta Project."

Sam breathed out in relief. This was more than she could have hoped for.

"Yes, sir."

She smiled at Teal'c. For the first time that day, she felt as if things were going their way.

* * *

Jack joined Hank in the Gateroom, not the least bit surprised to see Ba'al's holographic form flickering on the ramp. "Ba'al, buddy," he said, stopping in front of him. His timing was impeccable. "What's with the visit?" 

"As much as I would wish otherwise, I am here on business."

"Business, you say?" Jack clapped his hands together and glanced over at Hank, who seemed less than amused. The man needed to lighten up. "Well," Jack continued, facing Ba'al. "What kind of business are we talking this time?"

"I have come to offer the Tau'ri valuable information."

"Really?" Jack asked. He nudged his elbow in Hank's side. "This should be good."

"What is it you're offering?" Hank asked.

Ba'al's form sputtered, fading in and out before steadying. "Plans to a secret installation created by the Ori."

Jack and Hank stared at him, but remained collected. They were both skilled in keeping their emotions in check. There was no way Jack wanted Ba'al to think he had the drop on them.

"What's the catch?" Hank asked.

Ba'al chuckled. "My freedom, of course. I know that you continue to hunt me. Allow me to continue to build my empire, away from your world and away from the Ori, and I shall provide you with the schematics you desire."

"Didn't he already try this?" Jack asked Hank. Hank didn't respond, keeping his hard gaze level with Ba'al. "I'm pretty sure he did. Oh wait," Jack said, returning his attention to Ba'al. "That was one of the other hundred of you."

Ba'al's holographic form shifted impatiently. "Are you willing to take my offer, or do you continue to place this world at risk through your own impudence?"

"Let me think about it." Jack pursed his lips, tapping the sides of his thighs. After a long, exaggerated sigh, he shrugged and shook his head. "Nope."

"You will grant me this wish if you want to protect your world."

"Oh, I don't think so."

Ba'al shook his head once. "It is a pity the Goa'uld have spent so long in trying to annihilate you when we could have allowed you to destroy yourselves."

"Yeah, we try," Jack said.

"What are you really getting at?" Hank asked. "You're not here out of the goodness of your heart."

Ba'al smiled. "I only wish to make an exchange that will serve both of our interests. I admit that my reasoning is not selfless; I would like for the Ori to be destroyed. But I am willing to make the sacrifices necessary for that to happen."

"Sure, you do." Jack eyed the hologram carefully. As much as he would love to get his hands on something he could take to the IOA and finally have some intel that could strike at the heart of the Ori threat, taking info from Ba'al was about as useful as a toy gun. "No dice," he said, turning to walk away.

"Pity," Ba'al said. "I know how much you are in need of such valuable information. It could be enough to sway your challengers' minds, could it not?"

Jack froze by the doorway, praying he did not hear what he just thought he'd heard. He pivoted to face the Gate. "Excuse me?

"That is what you wish, isn't it?"

Jack turned his back on Ba'al and made for the exit.

Ba'al chuckled. "What is the matter? Have I said something to offend?"

Jack didn't respond. He climbed the stairs into the control room, passing by his confused clone and Walter. As he started for the next stairwell, he jabbed his finger at the window that separated the control room from the Gateroom.

"Cut the transmission."

"Sir?" Walter asked.

"Just do it. Now."

He jogged up the stairs, making a beeline for Hank's office. He opened the office door and immediately started dialing the phone.

Hank followed him, glaring at him as he entered his office. "What the hell, Jack?"

"He knows about my meeting with the IOA." Jack held the phone close to his ear, trying not to show just how livid he was. He paced in back of Hank's desk, clenching and unclenching his free hand. How he'd love to straggle Ba'al – any Ba'al – if given the chance.

Hank stared at him.

"He knows, Hank. How the hell would he know about that meeting? No one, except for a handful of people, knows about that meeting." He scowled as he was put on hold. "And Ba'al is no mind reader."

"He's got someone on the inside." Hank paused. "Who are you calling?"

The line started ringing. Jack heard the secretary. "Get me the President."

* * *

Daniel entered the holding area more quietly this time. He nodded for his escort to shut the door behind them. When he and the solider guarding him were alone with Janet, he moved to meet her by the bars, making sure to keep enough distance between them. 

"You're back again, " she said, sounding bored. "Come to preach to me some more?"

Daniel shook his head. He glanced over to his right, found a chair, and dragged it over to the cell. Daniel tried to pretend that Janet wasn't watching him, studying his every move. He tried to pretend he didn't see the contempt in her face. He tried to pretend that maybe this time he could get through to her. He stopped to clear his throat before he leaned forward, folding his hands as he regarded Janet thoughtfully.

"I was thinking about what you said. And you're right. I don't listen."

Janet crossed her arms and glared at him. "The good cop and bad cop routine that you and General O'Neill are playing isn't going to work."

"Jack doesn't know I'm here."

Janet took a step back, looking genuinely surprised. "Then, why are you here?"

He shifted slightly in his seat. "Just like I said. I want to talk, but I also want to listen."

"Okay, then tell me how Cassandra is doing."

Jack must have told her. "She's okay," Daniel said. "She's scared, though. We've set her up in the base under guard to protect her."

"Does-does she know about me?"

"Not yet. Sam's going to break the news to her when she gets back." He gave her a pointed look. "She's missed you."

"I've missed her."

"So, why go through all of this?" Daniel just couldn't wrap his mind around the reasoning. "Why not just Gate to a planet we know and try to contact the SGC?"

"It's not that simple, Daniel."

"So, explain it to me."

Janet shifted her body so that her right side leaned against the bars. Her face turned away from him, she seemed to reflect on her situation, her past. Daniel watched her carefully.

"I don't know how long it's been. I'm not even sure when it happened," she said quietly. "I remember waking up with people all around me. They cared for me. They showed me their life. It was so peaceful, Daniel. No wars, no battles…just peace."

"Only peace for those that submit completely," Daniel said. "Anyone who doesn't is killed." Why couldn't she see that?

She tilted her head to look at him. There, he saw pain in her eyes, sadness, but determination. "What's wrong in wanting peace?" she asked him in a tone that matched her passion. "I've been fighting all my life. What's wrong with wanting more? In finding a place where I don't have to worry about the people I love dying everyday?"

"What about Cassie? You were willing to trade—"

"No," she said firmly. "That's why I'm here. I want to show Cassie and everyone else that we can put all the fighting behind us and live in peace."

"As slaves," Daniel added, studying her more intently. "We're at a point where we don't have a choice. The Priors aren't going to negotiate."

"How do you know?"

"I've tried."

She shook her head. "You seem so willing to destroy them just because they don't believe as you do. You've always wanted to use force as a last resort. What happened to that Daniel?"

Daniel didn't reply, tearing his gaze away from her to stare at the floor.

"It makes you uncomfortable how much you've changed."

"We're not here to talk about me," he said coolly.

"I had to wait until I was strong enough," she said, continuing. "But now I am. There is life after death. They ascend their dead, Daniel. Just like you."

He lifted his head to glare at her. "As far as I remember – and I don't remember much – Ascension didn't agree with me very well."

"Maybe you were with the wrong people," she said with a smile.

"Maybe they are lying to you."

"Or you're being lied to."

Daniel sighed, rubbing his temples.

"We can make the pain go away," she said, gripping the bars. "If you just would read Origin, embrace its teachings. If everyone accepted Origin we'd have no more wars. We could all finally be at peace. I've seen so much death in my life…"

"You're their messenger? A different way to try to convert us? It's not going to work."

"It's out of my hands. It's in the hands of destiny now. I know that you can feel it."

Daniel ignored her. This wasn't happening. This wasn't Janet. Whoever this person was in front of him, she was not Janet Fraiser.

"I have a purpose, Daniel. It's clear to me now. I am here to guide you and everyone else towards the path to salvation. I'm here to—"

Daniel had enough. He blocked out her rhetoric and stood, pushing the chair away in disgust. He started for the door, his escort in tow, when he heard her speak again.

"You can't deny it. They have reached you and touched your mind. You'll come to understand soon enough."

Without looking back, Daniel shut the door. It was clear to him that Janet Fraiser had never come back at all. She was truly dead.

* * *

Malcolm Barrett shuffled through the same pile of paperwork. Five times and he still couldn't find a link that he needed. He just couldn't believe that the plotters could have a clean slate. They had to have left a trail of connections and contacts somewhere. 

Through both his sources and General Hammond's networking, he'd tracked NID activity, outbound flights from some of the top personnel in Washington, and pulled as many classified military files as he could. Kerry Johnson over at the CIA managed to give him some information regarding ex-Trust members and compromised businessmen that she'd been tailing for months. Still no connection.

That lead Malcolm to believe that whoever was behind this plot knew how to cover their tracks well. They weren't just low-level federal or military employees. They had to be high-ranking and under heavy guard.

Which made matters worse.

With a sigh, Malcolm picked up another file that he'd examined when he saw his inbox blinking.

Great. One of his contacts at the Pentagon had come through for him. He opened the encrypted computer file and began to decode it. He might not be the expert hacker like Samantha Carter, but he wasn't half bad. Besides, he was a quick study. He'd picked up a few things from her in their time together.

Malcolm seized the passwords and started to sift through various personnel files throughout the Pentagon, realizing if the wrong person caught him, he could be in some serious trouble. Nothing. But…Malcolm frowned, staring at the next password and the name of the person to whom it belonged.

The phone rang. Malcolm tore his gaze away from the screen and answered. "Barrett."

"Agent Barrett, it's Landry. I have some new leads for you to check into for me."

Malcolm glanced back at his screen and allowed his gaze to linger as he spoke. "What kind of leads?"

"Colonel Carter is securing help from General Clark at Area 51. He'll be sending you some encoded information shortly. In the meantime, we might have a breakthrough of our own."

"What kind of breakthrough?"

"General O'Neill believes that Ba'al might have a hand in this after all," Landry answered. "I need for you to go back and check any activity Ba'al might have conducted under his known aliases."

"General O'Neill?" Malcolm asked. "What makes him think he has something?"

"We just had a little visit from Ba'al. It seems the Goa'uld know quite a bit about some of our more classified meetings."

"If that were the case, then Ba'al must be in league with some high-ranking officials," Malcolm said.

"It could be Trust infiltration or nishta," Landry said. "Either way, it's bad news. Neither O'Neill nor I can get through to the President."

"I've already checked on Ba'al's known aliases and some of his suspected ones without finding a connection to any major corporations within the United States." Malcolm leaned back in his chair and faced the computer. "Though if he's involved with some of our government's high-ranking officials, maybe he doesn't need to go through any of his corporations."

"What are you getting at, Agent Barrett?"

"I'll follow up with the data that General Clark will be sending me, as well as double check my data based on your recommendations. But I want to check out another lead first."

"Do what you have to do. I want this over."

"Not a problem, General." Malcolm hung up the phone.

As he stared at the computer monitor, he thought of all the consequences his investigation would have if his hunch turned out to be correct. He typed in the password and hoped that for once, he was wrong.

* * *

Cameron glanced up from the file he had in front of him to catch Jackson rush into the briefing room. "Sorry I'm late," he said, tapping his watch as he took a seat between O'Neill's clone and Jonas Quinn. 

"Nice of you to join us," Landry said, giving Jackson a pointed look.

He didn't seem to catch it. In fact, Cameron thought Jackson looked a little flushed.

"Hey, everything going all right?" Cameron asked him. He didn't answer. "Jackson?"

"Oh, yes," Jackson answered, distracted. He didn't bother to glance up from the file that had been placed at his seat.

Cameron shot a look over at O'Neill. Damn, he looked pissed. So did the other O'Neill, as a matter of fact. Cameron had to guess this all had something to do with Fraiser. Though, if it wasn't, the alternative wasn't any better.

Cameron glanced down at his own file. "I take it we got some new news?"

Landry folded his hands, signaling for everyone's attention. "I've heard from Colonel Carter and Teal'c at Area 51."

"And?" O'Neill asked.

"Apparently, whoever is involved in this nishta plot got to the lead researcher on the team."

"Are Sam and Teal'c all right?" Jackson asked.

"They're perfectly fine, Doctor Jackson," Landry said. "They've managed to get General Clark, the commander of the facility, on board with us."

"That's good news," Quinn said.

"Go Carter and Teal'c," the clone added.

"Though, we seem to have hit a couple of snags," Landry said in a weary tone.

Cameron had to fight from rolling his eyes. Naturally, they'd hit some kind of wall. "What kind of snags?" he asked.

"General O'Neill believes that some of our original hunches were right," Landry said to Cameron. "Ba'al could be involved with the Nishta Project."

"Wait," Jackson said, leaning forward. "Are you implying that Ba'al has infiltrated Hayes' administration?"

"It's a possibility," O'Neill said. "Ba'al sent us a transmission earlier. He knows all about my meeting with the IOA. That's not exactly common knowledge."

"Perfect." The young O'Neill rolled his eyes and slumped in his seat. "That would mean that Ba'al has gotten to the most secure and classified personnel in the government." He scowled. "I can't wait to get my hands on that bastard."

"If you take action, you're talking treason against your own government," Quinn said.

No one said anything after Quinn's last comment. Cameron had read the man's files and he realized that Quinn knew all about treason and the consequences that came part of the package. They were involved in something deep. One wrong move…

Landry sighed. "There's more."

Cameron caught the anxiety in everyone's faces, especially Jackson, who bowed his head, slipping his hands under his glasses to rub his eyes.

"What is it?' O'Neill asked.

"Colonel Carter reports that the information she received from her previous encounter might not be accurate. Doctor Emerson had originally told her that those infected with nishta could be easily detected through their gaze. However, Colonel Carter states that in their latest encounter, Doctor Emerson performed as she normally would. Carter couldn't tell the difference."

"So, you're saying that whoever's infected would act like there was nothing wrong?" Quinn asked.

That sounded familiar, Cameron mused. "Not much unlike the Jaffa that were taken over by Ba'al, right Jackson?"

Jackson nodded. "They didn't even realize they were brainwashed."

"Which is what brainwashing _is_, Daniel," the clone said.

"This isn't new," O'Neill said. "We've seen Apophis twist Ry'ac and then Teal'c. Not to mention that both Daniel and myself have been infected," he said, motioning to Daniel from across the table.

"And Sam," Jackson added.

Cameron groaned. This was worse than zombies. At least with the zombies, they had the whole _what you see is what you get_ thing going on for them. "So, let me get this straight. We have people out there pumped on this nishta thinking they're all for truth and justice while they're really just doing whatever Puppet Master wants?"

"Something like that," Jackson said.

_Wonderful_, Cameron thought. Now it felt like they were right back where they'd started.

Cameron shifted in his seat when he heard the phone ringing. Landry excused himself, asking everyone to remain seated as he headed to his office.

Jackson cleared his throat and reached for the pitcher of water at the center of the table, pouring himself a glass as they waited. O'Neill watched Landry through the transparent star chart. Cameron found little O'Neill was staring at the Stargate through the window and damn Quinn was staring at _him_ again.

Cameron sighed. Just what the hell was that's guy's problem?

"How are the tests going?" O'Neill asked suddenly, his gaze still focused on Landry.

"We're clean. Fit as a fiddle," Cameron said with a smile, tapping his chest.

"Doctor Lam says that she's run all the tests that she could," Quinn said.

"Literally," Jackson added. He sipped from his glass and rubbed at his temple. "The SGC can't afford to blow any more of the budget on unnecessary testing."

"What about you?" O'Neill asked Jackson.

"No problems. I'm in perfect health," he said with a weak smile.

"Yeah." O'Neill didn't look all that convinced.

"So…" Jackson began, obviously eager to change the topic. "If and when we find any of these victims that have been manipulated by Ba'al or whoever is behind this, what are we going to do with them? We don't have a cure."

"Carter's working on it," O'Neill said, as if that was the simplest answer in the world. "She'll figure out something. Lam's good." He paused, glancing back to Landry's office before refocusing on Jackson. "No luck with Fraiser?"

Jackson shook his head, looking away. Cameron could have sworn he saw something more than disappointment in Jackson's eyes. He started to wonder just what kind of conversations they were having in there.

"None of this answers the question on how are we going to find this guy," Quinn said.

"We may not have to," Landry said, reemerging from his office. Cameron frowned, his spidey sense starting to tingle just by looking at the grave look on Landry's face. "Agent Barrett stumbled across some intelligence that he believes is enough to implicate someone with ties to Hayes' administration."

"It's about damn time," O'Neill said. "So, who is it?"

Landry kept serious, his fists flattened by his sides. The tension in the room skyrocketed when a contingent of military personnel arrived at the door.

Cameron sat a little straighter, feeling his stomach bottom out. He couldn't help but notice how pale O'Neill's clone had become.

"General?" Jackson asked, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry," Landry said, his sad eyes unable to meet any one of them directly. "Gentlemen, you are to arrest General O'Neill and place him in holding for interrogation."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What?" Jack exclaimed, immediately standing and taking a step back from the table.

"This has to be a mistake," Jackson said, rising with him. "Jack's been working with us this entire time."

Hank sighed. He'd realized before he'd reentered the briefing room that Jackson, and likely Jonas, would take the news hard, but he couldn't turn his back on the evidence that was presented to him. "I understand, Doctor Jackson. But we have to take every precaution."

"Precaution my ass." Jack pointed to the security guards, urging them to stay put. "Can't you see I'm being set up?"

"Jack, don't make this hard on yourself," Hank said. The last thing he wanted was to have to take Jack down by force.

"Maybe he's programmed to resist when discovered," Mitchell said, creeping closer to Jack.

"Wrong file," Jackson muttered. "Zatarc."

"Don't give him ideas!" Jack exclaimed.

Hank directed the guards to move toward Jack. In turn, Jack took another step back. Hank kept his face neutral, watching as Mitchell continued to approach from behind. Jackson and Quinn just stared on dumbfounded, but the clone…

"Hey!" the younger Jack shouted, jumping onto the briefing room table to slide in front of Mitchell. "I don't think so. I may not like myself, but there is now way in hell I – him, whatever – would turn on the SGC."

"I can vouch for General O'Neill," Jonas Quinn added. "Not that my opinion matters much."

Jack glared at him. "Thank you, Jonas. How very helpful of you."

"Look, Jack, I know this is an awkward situation, but I have a job to do. And right now, I have evidence that shows a connection between you and this conspiracy." Hank kept his gaze level. "You know you would do the same if our positions were reversed. I'm doing what you or General Hammond would do."

His reasoning seemed to bring Jack's anger down…a notch. "What exactly do you have for proof?" Jack asked. "I want to see it myself."

"All in due time."

Jack scowled. "That's not good enough, Hank. Tell me. I'm the one being arrested here."

"Agent Barrett has uncovered documentation that shows you've been in contact with Joseph Owens. Email, phone calls."

The rest of them looked shocked. Jack looked pissed.

"I don't know even know a Joseph Owens! Well, aside from today." He held up his finger again, signaling the airmen to wait. "Look, I would not do this. You know I wouldn't."

"If you're under the influence of nishta, you could be possible of anything," Mitchell said. "You could have been playing us from the start." He shook his head. "All that talk at the palace…

"Oh, listen to yourself. Do you know how crazy you sound?" The anger in Jack's face increased ten-fold.

"There's no need to get paranoid," Quinn said. Hank had to admire his persistence. But the fact remained. Right now he was holding evidence that implicated Jack in this mess.

"You have taken an interest in the Nishta Project and our efforts to provide a cure," Hank said, playing devil's advocate. "How can we know that you aren't following our leads so you can sabotage the project?"

"Because it's my job!"

"The truth is you have direct access to the SGC, the F303's, the Antarctic Post and any other Homeworld Security related issues. You report directly to the President and the Joint Chiefs. Above all, you are in the position to orchestrate and execute any plan of attack against the SGC, whether it's of your own volition or not. You told me yourself that Ba'al had no way of knowing about your meeting with the IOA." Hank set his jaw as he approached Jack. "Not unless you told him."

Jack took the challenge and stepped up to Hank, the venom in his eyes blazing. "I would never turn on the SGC and I would never _ever_ align myself with Ba'al. Do I make myself clear?"

"Okay, okay, okay. This is getting out of hand," Jackson said, walking between the guards, Hank, and Jack. "We're falling apart. That's exactly what they want. Obviously, there has been a mistake." He turned to Jack and pressed his hand against his chest. "Jack, you should go with them for now. We'll take care of this."

Jack's gaze fell to the guards who had now drawn their weapons. "It doesn't look like I have a choice."

"No, you don't," Jackson said. "But let us figure something out."

"Fine," Jack said, turning around so that the guards could cuff him. He held his head high as they restrained him, not saying another word of protest as the guards started to guide him toward the door. He did, however, give one last hard look at Hank before he was escorted away.

Part of Hank felt guilty for having to place Jack on the spot. But if Jack was unwittingly part of a plan to undermine the government and the SGC, he had to make him an example and send a message that he meant business. Hopefully, Jack could prove him wrong.

Hank turned to the remaining people left in the room, catching the anxiety and anger in their eyes. "We have a lot to get done," he said. "Dismissed."

* * *

"You had him arrested?" Sam asked, stunned, as she and Teal'c marched into Malcolm Barrett's office. 

"Colonel Carter," Malcolm said, standing. "I'm glad to see that you and Teal'c are okay."

"I'm not in the mood, Agent Barrett," she muttered. Sam slammed her hands down on his desk and glared at him. "Dammit, you know that General O'Neill had nothing to do with this!"

"Colonel, I have proof from my sources that connects him Joseph Owens."

"Then your sources are lying."

"Colonel…

"No, don't. You listen to me," she said. "General O'Neill has been working with us since the very beginning of this investigation. He is not involved with whoever is undermining the SGC."

Malcolm didn't move. He knew that trying to convince any of General O'Neill's old teammates would prove to be difficult, but he was confident that they would understand once they were privy to all the evidence. They had to listen to reason.

"The fact of the matter is General O'Neill is in the perfect position to carry out the entire attack on the SGC and the government," Malcolm said, his voice calm. "He has a direct link to the President. He is the one who authorized all of the civilians to be relocated here, where – coincidentally – he's calling the shots. He has access to all the key confidential material—"

"General O'Neill is trained to combat mind control techniques," she said, interrupting him. "He fought Hathor and he fought against Seth. You have the wrong man."

Malcolm sighed. "I know that you were close…"

"Colonel Carter is correct," Teal'c said, his tone low and threatening. "O'Neill would never do such a thing."

Malcolm pulled back his suit jacket and put his hands on his hips, taking a moment to study them both. They weren't going to break on this one.

"He's not capable of doing something like this," Sam said.

Malcolm watched Teal'c join her. "O'Neill would never jeopardize the SGC."

Unfortunately, some of Malcolm's patience had worn thin. He opened up his briefcase and withdrew a sheet of paper. "No?" Malcolm slammed down the paper and flung it towards Sam. "There's your proof."

Sam picked up the sheet of paper, reading the memo carefully. She fell silent as she passed it to Teal'c.

"That's a signed authorization from General O'Neill placing his approval behind the Nishta Project," Malcolm said.

"It's a fake," she said, her cheeks burning.

"I've authenticated it."

"It must be a lie." Teal'c handed the form back to Malcolm.

"I wish it was. But it's not. President Hayes wanted advice from General O'Neill on whether a nishta experiment was a doable plan and what applications it could be used for. O'Neill passed on his support and approval for the project." He held up the form. "And that's why you were consulted when you worked at R&D."

"He would have told me," Sam said.

"This does not prove that O'Neill has been compromised," Teal'c added.

"Not alone, no. But we also have the phone and email logs." He eased himself back into his seat. "Under nishta a person can do anything. General O'Neill could easily have been instructed to act like he always has. His questions and concern over the speed of the investigation could easily have been a way to fish for information. The link with Ba'al could be real or it could be a ruse to keep people distracted." Malcolm shook his head, easing as much sympathy into his voice as possible. "I'm sorry."

Sam shook her head and started to smile. It was one of those smiles Malcolm had come to recognize as an indication that she was onto something. "Then you're making my point," she said. "There are too many unknowns at this point. You haven't even looked at what General Clark has sent. And we haven't run a blood test on General O'Neill, yet."

"True," Malcolm said. "And I recognize that. But based on the information I had so far, I had to give my recommendation to General Landry. If General O'Neill has been compromised, we couldn't allow him to keep subverting the system."

"Did you even stop to think that maybe your sources are feeding you misinformation?" Sam asked.

"Or perhaps it is you who has been compromised and are feeding us misinformation," Teal'c said. A small, sly smile spread across his lips.

Malcolm leaned back in his chair and sighed. "It's out of my hands. Believe me, I didn't want it this way. If you were in my position, you would have done the same. Don't tell me you wouldn't have. This is a serious matter." When her face didn't break, he tossed his arms into the air and shrugged. "I'll keep digging. But you'll have to talk to General Landry for anything else."

"I will." She touched Teal'c's arm. "Let's go."

Sam and Teal'c headed for the exit to his makeshift office. He watched Teal'c disappear into the hallway, but he stood as Sam reached the doorway.

"Sam?

She stopped, her angry gaze burning a hole through his chest.

"I really am sorry."

She nodded, but didn't say anything as she walked out the door.

* * *

Sam didn't know where to start. Between the time it took her to fly from Nellis to Peterson, everything had gone to hell in a hand basket. She had gone from possibly cracking the nishta case to learning her former commanding officer had been arrested for crimes against the state. 

"I'm sorry, Colonel," Landry said. "General O'Neill will remain under guard until we can determine his role in recent activities."

Sam shot a desperate look over to Teal'c. He knew as much as she did that General O'Neill would never put himself in a position where he would be compromised, especially not to the point of betraying the SGC.

The rational side of her tried to argue that Agent Barrett was right. If someone had gotten to General O'Neill, then there was no telling what his wield of influence could do. He had strong connections throughout the government and within the SGC. If Ba'al were involved somehow, then it would be the Goa'uld's ultimate revenge to have Jack O'Neill serve as his slave without being the wiser.

But then the other half of her just couldn't accept the facts and held onto the hope that her loyalty would prove them all wrong.

"Yes, sir," she finally said.

"Good. Because I have something else I need you to work on."

Sam frowned. "Sir?"

General Landry rose from the seat behind his desk and walked around to meet both her and Teal'c. "Before this whole fiasco with General O'Neill began, we had received a transmission from Ba'al stating he had some information on the Ori."

"Ba'al cannot be trusted," Teal'c said.

"No, I know. But with all this Doomsday talk, one can't be too careful." He walked past them and gazed out into the briefing room. "Now, some of our Tok'ra friends have also said they've noted some increased chatter through our end of the galaxy. I'd like you to check into it. See if there's anything new."

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll get right on it."

Sam was on her way out the door when she heard overheard Landry detaining Teal'c. She slowed long enough to hear what they were saying.

"Teal'c, I want you to head down to holding and check on Doctor Jackson."

"Is there a problem?" Teal'c asked.

"No. He went down to see General O'Neill. I want to make sure everything is in order."

"I will do as you wish." Sam caught him give Landry a small bow before meeting her outside of his office.

"You're going to see General O'Neill?" she asked, even though she already knew. Something about asking Teal'c made her feel better.

"Indeed." He paused to study her face, before he lowered his voice. "Is there anything that you wish for me to tell him?"

She nodded, thankful for Teal'c's ever-present insight. "Just tell him we're doing everything we can for him." Sam placed her hand on the upper part of his arm, forcing a thin smile.

"That I will," he said, bowing to her. "Take heart, Colonel Carter. Our situation will improve and everything will be fine once again."

Sam smiled, a little more strongly this time. "I hope so. I really do hope so."

* * *

Daniel was pacing again. He kept walking back and forth in front of Jack's cell, one hand in his pocket, the other one dancing up and down, side to side, in little circular patterns as he spoke. It was driving Jack crazy. 

"The way I see it, you could easily have been set up," Daniel said. He paced to the left and then to the right, accentuating his point with his open hand. "Unless, of course, you're hiding something." He started again.

"Can you stop that?" Jack asked.

Daniel stopped, frowning at Jack. "What?"

"That," he said, pointing to Daniel. "Stop it."

"Okay," Daniel said, lingering on the word, but did stop. He stood in front of the cell and shoved both of his hands into his pockets. "I'm just trying to help."

"Standing here talking isn't helping me. Go talk to Landry and get me out of here."

"Jack, you do realize you're in a difficult position, don't you?"

Jack eyed the bars that held him like a caged lion from top to bottom. "No, Daniel. The thought never occurred to me."

"Can we drop the sarcasm for a minute?" Daniel asked with a scowl.

"Then, _do_ something."

Daniel breathed out, loud enough for Jack to hear him. He took another step toward the bars, coming to study Jack face to face. "Is there anything – anything at all – that you can tell me that I can use to bargain for your release?"

"I didn't do it."

"Yeah, you know, I need something a little more substantial than that."

"What do you want me to tell you?' Jack asked him. "I don't know how the hell Barrett pinned this on me."

"He has proof," Daniel said.

"Well, he's wrong."

"So, you had nothing to do with Joseph Owens?" Daniel asked, his eyes shining as he eyed Jack up and down.

Daniel had that look. That look that meant he was digging deep into your insides somewhere and uncovering little bits of information that he shouldn't. Jack set his jaw and stared him down.

"Interrogation, Daniel? That's why you're really here?"

"No, of course not," Daniel said quietly. He wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his upper lip. "I'm just looking for answers like you are."

Jack could see Daniel was digging deeper. "What?" he asked. Aggravated couldn't even begin to explain how he felt right now.

Daniel's eyes narrowed, his gaze still fixed on Jack, searching him. "You haven't been entirely honest with me."

"What?" Jack asked, annoyed. "You're a mind reader now?"

"No, there's something more. Something you won't tell me." Daniel's eyes narrowed further and his voice sounded distant, distracted. "Something you don't want to tell me. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"That's ridiculous," Jack muttered, breaking his gaze. Daniel was supposed to be helping him, not treating him like some kind of criminal. He was about to remind Daniel of all the times he'd pulled through for him, when he stopped, surprised, to find Teal'c appear at the door. "Teal'c," he said, knowing the hitch in his voice sounded lame.

"O'Neill."

"Come to break me out of here?" Jack asked hopefully.

"I am not," he said, coming to stand beside Daniel. He passed Daniel a wary look before facing Jack. "I am in agreement with Daniel Jackson."

"What?"

"You are indeed concealing something."

Jack sighed, now making sure he glared at both of them through the iron bars.

"Is it not true that you provided your approval for the Nishta Project?" Teal'c asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

Daniel shot a confused look over to Teal'c, before casting his suspicious glare back onto Jack.

Jack ignored him. "Where did you get that idea?"

Teal'c arched his eyebrow in that no nonsense way of his. "Agent Barrett holds in his possession documentation regarding your involvement with the Nishta Project."

_Damn,_ Jack thought, tapping on the bars. That didn't sound good.

"Jack, tell me you didn't really approve any of this?"

"Of course not. I thought it was a bad idea from the start."

"Was a bad idea." Daniel's eyebrows shot down while his whole face tightened. "You _knew_?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Daniel, you know just as well as anyone that politics isn't black and white. In the military, you take our orders and that's it. But all this political crap—"

"So, the document is true," Teal'c said. Jack thought he sounded genuinely surprised.

Jack gave them a half nod. "It's not fake."

"I can't believe this," Daniel muttered, walking away. Here came the pacing again. "Here I am trying to help you." He shook his head and turned to face Jack while crossing his arms over his chest. "Why did you do it?"

"Lots of reasons."

"Jack—"

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?" Jack pressed against the bars, making sure he looked Daniel and Teal'c both in the eyes and made himself clear. "President Hayes wanted some kind of back-up plan in the event the Ori ever broke through our defenses. Matters just got worse after the plague hit." He shrugged "Area 51 already had our tissue samples and had been trying to turn the nishta around for medical purposes and some limited military applications."

"Like when Sam was there," Daniel said.

"Yeah." Jack wasn't about to say he'd "encouraged" the establishment to check with Carter on the nishta. "Well, obviously something went wrong between then and now since Hayes would never go after anyone involved or connected with the SGC. I mean we're talking children, for God's sake."

Daniel shook his head again, apparently still unimpressed. "I just can't believe you would support something like this."

"I didn't. Nevermind." Jack batted him away with the wave of his hand. "You wouldn't understand."

"Well, try me!" he exclaimed, on the verge of going all twitchy.

"There is more that you are not telling us," Teal'c said.

Jack sighed. Teal'c always had been sharp. "No. Look, I made a deal with Hayes. He needed my support to sway others in his administration that this could work. In return, I got some extra funding for the SGC."

"You did this to keep the SGC running?" Daniel asked.

"Best line of defense," Jack said proudly. "And it's not like you were much help bringing Bigmouth to the Appropriations Committee. Funding had to come from _somewhere_."

He saw the discomfort fill Daniel's face and felt mildly satisfied over the fact. Served Daniel right for doubting him.

"Then what of Joseph Owens and the attack on the others?"

"No clue," Jack told Teal'c. "But from what I hear, he wasn't exactly working there legally, on the preliminary project or otherwise." Jack shrugged. "I still say Ba'al infiltrated the government. Not sure how or when, but he's involved somehow."

"Why didn't you just tell us that from the start?" Daniel asked, sounding slightly exasperated.

"It's not going to clear me. Barrett claims I've had correspondence with a man I've never met. Besides, it's not like I feel the need to publicize all my decisions."

"Sometimes you have to make the wrong decision to do the right thing," Daniel said, his voice just above a whisper.

Jack glared at him, starting to feel uneasy with Daniel's sudden shift in mood. "Okay, I wouldn't put it that way, but yeah."

Daniel nodded, solemn. "I'm going to check in with Sam and Cassie." He glanced down at his watch. "They should be with Janet right now." He forced a smile and approached the bars for one last time. "Teal'c and I will tell General Landry what you told us. Maybe we can find something to get you out of there."

He walked away from the cell quietly and left the room, his escort in tow. Jack's gaze lingered on the door as he considered Daniel's behavior and everything that had gone on over the past day or so. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but the idea that Daniel, Mitchell, or Jonas had walked away from this encounter scot-free didn't make sense.

Jack turned to Teal'c. "Okay, that was weird even for him."

"Indeed."

"Landry's sure the Prior didn't do anything to him?" Jack asked.

Teal'c inclined his head, but Jack didn't miss the caution in his eyes. "According to Doctor Lam, Daniel Jackson, Colonel Mitchell, and Jonas Quinn are in perfect health."

"You're not convinced."

"I am not."

Jack beckoned Teal'c closer with the curl of his fingers, dipping his head low so that the guard wouldn't catch the brunt of the conversation. "Keep on eye on them."

Teal'c eyed him carefully, keeping his voice low and even. "You are concerned for them."

"Of course I am." He groaned. "Teal'c, I'm not under the influence of nishta."

Teal'c paused and seemed to consider what he'd said. "You have found it necessary to make decisions that you did not favor for the good of your friends."

Jack stared at him and searched his face. He realized Teal'c understood. Of course, Teal'c would understand. Right from the start, he and Teal'c always had a lot in common, and while Jack thought Teal'c could sometimes take the whole revenge bit a little too far, he knew what it felt like. They weren't scientists. They were soldiers, soldiers thrust into the gray world of politics.

"I knew you would get it," he said.

"Indeed." The corners of Teal'c's mouth curved into a smile. It only lasted for a second. "However, I must return to General Landry to inform him of our conversation. Colonel Carter wished for me to tell you she is investigating the matter."

"Excellent," Jack said with a nod. He flicked his wrist, motioning for Teal'c to go. The sooner that Jack could clear his name, the better. They were wasting time they didn't have.

* * *

Sam led Cassie into the holding area, carefully guiding her as she approached her mother. Sam watched Janet's every move and reaction, all the while keeping her supportive hand on Cassie's back. She could feel Cassie trembling. 

"Mom?" she asked as she took slow, unsteady steps toward Janet.

"Cassandra." Janet's voice broke; she was nearly in tears. She slid her fingers through the bars and reached out to touch Cassie's hand. "Sweetie, I've wanted to see you for so long."

"Mom."

The two broke down into sobs, trying their best to touch, hold, and comfort each other through the firm metal bars. Sam held back, but remained by Cassie's side as she observed the reunion. She couldn't help but be protective. Sam scooted a little closer.

She'd warned Cassie. She'd tried her best to explain what was happening, without crushing Cassie's hopes. But at the same time, she had to make Cassie consciously aware that the woman they had in custody might not ever be the mother that she remembered.

But Sam was convinced that Janet was in there. Somewhere. She had to be. The Ori and the Priors couldn't destroy such a strong person. She kept trying to think that they all were stronger than that. But regardless, the woman who she saw now was not the woman she wanted anywhere near Cassie.

Sam took a step closer to Cassie, tugging at her sleeve to pull her back. The hurt expression on Janet's face was enough to make Sam want to cry.

"You're turning her against me," Janet said, the words harsh through her clenched teeth.

Sam rubbed Cassie's back, whispering soothing words to her. "Remember," she said. "They've conditioned her somehow."

Cassie was a strong girl. A young woman now. Sam knew she had her mother's fire. She could fight her way through this situation.

"Mom?" Cassie took a step back, moving closer to Sam. "Mom, how can you talk to Sam like that?"

"Because she is trying to tear us apart."

"Janet, listen to you," Sam said. "We're not your enemy."

"No, we're not enemies. We shouldn't be enemies." Janet shook her head. "Why won't you listen? Why won't you open yourselves to the teachings of the Ori?"

"The Ori pose as gods," Sam said, walking toward the cell, but motioning with her hands for Cassie to stay behind. "They believe they are gods, offering us salvation. Then, they usurp a person's power and life force only to use it to their own ends. They are worse than the Goa'uld, Janet. Orlin showed me—"

"So, you're believing an Ancient?" Janet snorted and shook her head, causing Sam's cheeks to flare with indignation. "Do you remember what they've done? Or, I should say haven't done?"

"The Ori sent a plague across the world, Mom," Cassie said, her face pinched with horror. "One of my best friends died. How-why would you condone something like that?"

Janet was silent. Sam could read the pain and conflict in her face. She gave a subtle nod for Cassie to continue.

"Nirrti sent a plague onto my planet and killed my family. How is that different?" She bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears. "Don't you even care?"

Janet opened her mouth to respond, but Cassie shook her head. "No, it's not different! It's not!"

"Cassandra!" Janet called out.

Cassandra turned her back, hugging herself as she moved to stand in the corner. Sam turned to Janet, wondering where the hell her friend was. Wondering if her friend was there at all.

Janet grabbed the bars, glowering at Sam. "Give me back my daughter!"

"That could have been her!" Sam yelled. "That could have been her that died!"

Janet brought up her hand, blocking Sam, before she turned around in her cell, showing her back to the rest of the room. She pushed them all away.

Part of Sam wanted to punch her for being so blind. The other part of Sam just wanted to sit down and cry over her loss.

"She's your daughter, Janet. All she wants is her mother back. We want you back."

Janet refused to speak with her. Sam just looked on as Janet continued to block them out, stuck in whatever world the Ori had made for her. Sighing, Sam turned her attention to Cassie.

She stopped, surprised to find Daniel by Cassie's side. Sam hadn't even heard him come inside the room. At first glance, it looked as if he were comforting her. But when Sam took a second look, she realized that Cassie's body language was closed, almost afraid. Whatever he was telling her, Cassie nodded anyway, but Sam knew it wasn't something Cassie was comfortable with. Sam had been caring for Cassie long enough to understand when she felt troubled.

"Daniel?" Sam asked, feeling her protective nature flare up again.

Daniel gave Cassie a pat on the shoulder, whispered something that Sam couldn't hear but which sounded comforting, before he started to walk toward her and the cell. He hesitated, passing Janet a pained glance before settling beside Sam.

"What was that?" Sam asked, nudging her chin in Cassie's direction.

"She's shook up," Daniel said. "I just wanted to see how she was doing."

Sam eyed him suspiciously. She chastised herself for still feeling tense around Daniel. Maybe it was all the stress from everything that had happened.

"You're brainwashing her," Janet said, her back still to them.

Sam scowled, struggling to keep her anger in check. She felt Daniel's hand on her shoulder, warm and comforting. "We've told her the truth," she said tersely.

Janet didn't respond.

"Sam, Cassie's pretty shaken. I'll see if I can make any headway here."

Sam hesitated, her gaze shifting between all three of them. She glanced down at her watch. She'd already left a message with the Tok'ra High Council about Ba'al and had yet to receive a reply. General O'Neill was arrested and likely facing charges of treason. She was still worried about Daniel, Cameron and Jonas. She wasn't sure what kind of support she could give Cassie right now.

Dammit, she hated when she felt emotionally unbalanced.

"It'll be okay in the end."

"I hope so," Sam said, casting an anxious look in Janet's direction. "You'll be okay?"

Daniel nodded. "Call me if anything new develops."

"I will." She forced a small smile and rubbed his back. "Take care and be careful."

Daniel nodded again. He knew that she wasn't talking about Janet.

With reluctance, she left Daniel and approached Cassie, urging her to come with her to the commissary. At least Sam had a little practice over the past couple of years, learning what could help ease Cassie's pain, and in turn, Sam's as well.

Quietly, the two of them left Daniel and Janet alone. Sam hoped she was doing the right thing.

* * *

As Sam and Cassie left, Daniel turned his attention to Janet. She pivoted to face him, smiling, her gaze focused on the door, watching as Sam and Cassie disappeared into the hallway. 

"The Prior has opened your mind, Daniel. How long to do you think you can keep it hidden from everyone?"

"What?" he asked, his voice sounding dead and flat even to his own ears. He glanced over his shoulder, trying to see if anyone was around to hear what she'd said. He saw his escort, but he didn't seem at all fazed by their conversation.

"Don't play dumb," she said, drawing Daniel back to the conversation. "You know it. I know it. The Prior on Langara," she continued. "He's opened your mind to the Ori."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Daniel said, frowning. He crossed his arms, taking another quick glance back at the guard. "Besides, this isn't about me."

"You keep turning the conversation around."

Daniel scowled. He was becoming frustrated in his inability to break through to Janet. He didn't know what else he could say or do to snap her out of her thinking.

It had occurred to him that maybe she really wasn't brainwashed. Maybe she truly felt the Ori were her saviors. In fact, he supposed it could be argued that was true. The Ori had saved her, resurrected her, if he were to believe her story. But he didn't want to believe that were true. Because if the Ori could turn Janet, then they could turn anyone. They could turn Sam or Jack. Cameron. Teal'c. Jonas. Even him.

He remembered the dream given to him by Shifu. While he knew that Shifu had been trying to show him that no one could resist the evil encoded in Goa'uld knowledge and genetic memory, sometimes he faltered and wondered if he were capable of what he saw in his dream. If given the chance, could he be that evil?

Daniel didn't want to ever find out.

"It's not that I like what we've become," Daniel said quietly, unfolding his arms as he took another step forward. "There are times I wish I could go back to the person I used to be. But I can't." He explored her face, searching for any kind of understanding. "But I'm still me, deep inside. I think you are, too."

Janet met him at the bars. "I love Cassandra," she said. "I would never hurt her. I would never let anyone hurt her."

_I know_, he wanted to say. But he didn't.

"Well, you could have fooled me."

She sighed, pressing her forehead on the bars. "I didn't want it to be this way."

"It doesn't have to," he said.

She tilted her chin and looked up at him. He started, alarmed to find fear lurking inside her eyes. "It may be too late," she said.

That caught Daniel's attention. He crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"

"You're becoming like them."

Daniel shifted his weight, feeling uncomfortable about the certainty he heard in her voice. "I'll die before I become like one of the Priors."

"I'm not talking about the Priors, Daniel."

He paled, realizing the implication of her statement. Shaken, he turned away from her and headed for the door, surprising his escort, who quickly moved to catch up with him.

Daniel wasn't going to let it happen. He wasn't going to lose himself. Janet was wrong. He would just have to prove it.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"General Hammond," Hank said, walking from behind his desk to greet him. He shook Hammond's hand. "Nice of you to stop by."

"I told you just to call me George," Hammond said with a chuckle. "How're you holding down the fort?"

"It's a challenge," Hank said.

Hammond eyed the basketball hoop on the wall. "I'm sure it is."

Hank smiled. Needless to say, he'd made a few adjustments since the years of the Hammond and O'Neill legacy. Though, Hank still stood by his assessment that Jack never even used anything in his office except a pen and the chair.

"Well, I'm sure you haven't come all this way for small talk," Hank said, bringing his mind back to the task at hand.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't." Hammond walked over to the window, pausing to watch SG-1. "While I commend the work you've done in getting our people safe and secure here in the mountain, I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"Bad news?" Two words Hank didn't want to hear right now. "I assume this has to do with the trouble we've been having in Washington."

Hammond forced a small laugh, his gaze still focused on the briefing room. "Trouble my foot. There's something going on in Washington that's bigger than you or me." He sighed. "I've been ordered by the President to bring Joseph Owens back to Washington for questioning."

Hank couldn't believe what he was hearing. "This is a joke."

"I'm afraid it's no joke," Hammond said, dead serious. "I tried to convince him otherwise, but he seems hell bent on talking to Owens himself."

Hank considered what Hammond was saying. Since the nishta problem had started, he'd tried to convince himself that Jack and the President couldn't have a hand in it. It just didn't seem right. But the more he learned…

"Supposedly, the President has some very 'convincing' methods in getting people to talk," Hammond said quietly.

Hank nodded. "I'm sure he has."

"You know, I've seen a lot in my day. Hell, I've seen things that no ordinary man gets to see," he said, turning to Hank. "But the thought that Jack could be working in league with Ba'al and usurping presidential power…it just doesn't seem right."

None of it made any sense to Hank, either. He had a hard time believing that Jack could be capable of carrying out subversive acts against his government, his friends, and especially children. Then again, they weren't talking about regular run of the mill technology. Jack had been infected with nishta before. Who knew just how powerful the substance created at Area 51 was.

"It doesn't," Hank agreed. "That's why I have Agent Barrett working on anything that will clear Jack."

"Do you really believe that he hasn't been affected?" Hammond asked him.

"I'm not sure. But having Barrett look into every lead and angle he can will either support the evidence we already have, or it could absolve him."

Hammond nodded. "Jack O'Neill has been framed for murder in the past. But I don't see how he can clear his name this time."

"Well, we're verifying some information from Area 51 and also looking through the phone and email logs again," Hank said. "From what I've been told, they were made a couple of months ago. Barrett is trying his best to confirm the dates and trace the sources."

"Sorry to interrupt, but did you say a couple of months ago?"

Hank glanced at the doorway to his office from the briefing room, surprised to find Jack's clone standing at attention next to his table by the window. Hammond sent Hank a questioning look.

"I've cleared him," Hank said, trying to assure Hammond. He faced Jack. "What can I do for you?"

Jack saluted Hammond before answering. "I just couldn't help but overhear what you were saying. A couple of months ago? I think he went fishing then."

This was an interesting development.

"And just how would you know that, son?" Hammond asked.

Jack diverted his gaze to the table and started to tap the surface. "I used to always go fishing around that time of year."

"What you used to do and what General O'Neill does now are two entirely different situations," Hammond said. "But we appreciate your voice in the matter."

"Sir?" Jack appeared confused. "With all due respect, I think I know myself best."

Hank was about to intervene when he caught Major Davis at the door. "General Hammond? General Landry?" He stopped as he stared at Jack, made a move to address him, before dropping the thought completely. Or at least, that is how Hank read his bewildered expression. "Sirs, SG-1 state they have important information regarding Ba'al and are awaiting your orders."

"Thank you, Major," Hank said. He extended his hand outward, urging Hammond and Jack to proceed.

Hammond followed Davis into the briefing room. Hank was about to follow when he realized the young clone hadn't moved.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

Jack was tapping his foot impatiently, wearing a tight scowl on his face.

"It's not like we don't appreciate your opinion, but—"

"But, I'm just the clone that doesn't know anything, right?" He sighed and shook his head, throwing his hands in the air in a frustrated defensive measure. "He's innocent."

"Why do you say that?" Hank studied him closely, noting Jack's discomfort in the way he jerked his legs. He narrowed his eyes. "You know something."

"It didn't occur to me until I heard you and Hammond talking."

"Spit it out, Jack."

"I wasn't supposed to say anything," Jack said. "It's all weird."

Hank's anger only deepened.

Jack sighed loudly. "I went fishing with…myself a couple of months ago."

That wasn't something Hank had been expecting. He didn't even think the clone and the original Jack had any kind of contact with each other. Fishing?

"Think about it," the clone said, as if reading his mind. "It's like pulling teeth trying to get Carter, Daniel, or Teal'c to go. Hammond is always off visiting his family. I needed someone who could appreciate the fine art of fishing."

"And you could confirm the dates you were with General O'Neill?"

"I can do better than that," Jack said with a smile. "I have blackmail photos."

Jack could have an alibi. That is all Hank needed to know. If the dates and the photos coincided with Jack's so-called office logs, then that would be enough evidence for Hank to release Jack and get him back into action where he damn well belonged.

"Where are these photos?"

"I have hardcopies at my apartment, but I have some logged onto my laptop," he said. "That's here on base."

"Good. You'll be escorted down to your room and I want you to retrieve those photos for me. Report back to me as soon as you find them."

Jack pointed to the briefing room. "The meeting?"

"You can join us when you're finished."

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir." With that he practically hopped out of the office, nabbing his escort who had been waiting in the hallway.

Pleased, Hank glanced over the briefing room. SG-1, Jonas, Hammond, and Major Davis were already conversing. With the silent hope that some of the past couple of days' problems could be placed behind them, Hank straightened his tie and entered the briefing room.

* * *

"So, what am I looking at?" General Landry asked. 

Sam nodded to Thelass to speak.

"After Colonel Carter informed us of Ba'al's communication with the SGC, we contacted one of our spies working in what is left of his ranks," the Tok'ra explained. "Hardin went to great lengths to obtain the necessary information," he said quietly. "However, he was able to obtain these." Thelass smoothed out the detailed charts that were spread across the table with his hands.

The sheets indicated an oblong structure, slightly rounded. Plain and simplistic. But, there was no doubt in Sam's mind what it could be used for.

"They're plans for some kind of external docking station," Sam said.

"So, are we talking Deep Space Nine or Death Star?" Cameron asked.

Teal'c turned to Cameron and raised his eyebrow. Inwardly, Sam winced. They wouldn't be able to stop Teal'c from making science fiction references for days now.

She cleared her throat. "These are plans like nothing we've ever seen. They're definitely not Goa'uld in design."

"I agree with Colonel Carter," Thelass said. "While the Goa'uld have adapted technologies from across the galaxy, they persist in using the same system in their designs. Goa'uld vessels and structures are angular in design. These plans do not reflect the same style."

"No," Jonas said, nodding as he brushed his fingers over the plans. "You're right. The framework is much more rounded on these designs."

"It's the Ori," Daniel said, frowning. "Ba'al was right."

Sam didn't want Daniel to jump to conclusions, but she knew the likelihood these plans represented anything else were slim. Now she could see why Ba'al was so willing to pass these plans onto them; if he could get the Ori out of his hair without having to do any of the work, then great for him. Not to mention he could keep busy rebuilding his own empire, while keeping his clones busy on Earth. Or vice versa, depending on which Ba'al was which.

"Now why on Earth would they need a space station?" Hammond asked.

"They don't have any ships," Davis said.

Sam leaned on the table, locking her elbows and using them to prop her weight as he stared down at the designs. She wished she knew. To her, it was obvious the Ori were building a space station to dock any space-going vessels, but the Ori didn't have any ships. Vala had sacrificed herself, stopping them from constructing their Supergate. None of their data suggested the Ori were in fact building another Supergate or that they had any ships lying in wait.

"Could this not be their first endeavor?" Teal'c asked, moving to stand beside Sam.

"First a space station, then ships," Daniel mumbled. "Maybe…" His voice trailed off as he searched the plans. When it didn't look like he was going to finish, Sam reached over to shake him, but he snapped out of his daze. "Maybe they figure if they can't build ships and send them here, they'll just start from scratch."

"We already know that the Ori have Priors planted all over the galaxy," Hank said. He hesitated, his sour expression leaving its mark on the room's occupants. "Do we know if these plans are accurate?"

Thelass narrowed his eyes. "Accurate?"

_Oh boy_, Sam thought, realizing which direction this conversation was heading. Times like these she missed her father the most.

"We're not questioning the Tok'ra," Sam said, trying to ease Thelass' suspicions and anger.

"No, no…we have no doubt about your intentions," Daniel said. "We're just afraid the Ori might use anything to distract us."

"Including using you," Davis added.

"The Tok'ra are not easily manipulated," Thelass snapped. "Hardin risked his life to obtain these plans for you."

Sam turned to Daniel, looking to him for help. She could use his negotiating skills about now. She frowned, becoming uneasy as she saw him staring off into space again. "Daniel?"

He didn't respond. Normally, Daniel's occasional lapses into thought wouldn't bother Sam. But not this time. Tensing, she realized Daniel had that same vacant look that he'd worn when he had first come through the Gate in a stretcher.

"Doctor Jackson?" Jonas asked.

Sam tapped Daniel on the shoulder. He shook his head, blinked with confusion, and stared at her along with everyone else. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded, still appearing puzzled as he moved away from her. "Let's assume these are true. What are we going to do?"

Everyone seemed to hesitate, but recovered, their gazes focused on Daniel more now than ever before. Sam's hope started to sink.

"We need to find the location of the design," Teal'c said simply.

"Could your spy – Hardin – get any info on where this baby is at?" Cameron asked.

"He could not. The only information he was able to obtain was that the construction was occurring near a planet where light only touched a part of the world."

Sam chewed her lip as she pondered that remark. They had been to dozens of worlds that had different planetary rotations. Some worlds were covered primarily in darkness while others had strange oscillating patterns of light and dark. The amount of time it would take them to search each world would ruin any advantage they might have in a quick attack.

"We could pull up the planets that match this description in our database and try to narrow it from there," she said. She knew that right now this was their best course of action. "We'll just have to hope the Priors are building this near a Stargate."

If they weren't…Sam didn't even want to consider that possibility. They could spend months trying to track down a suitable planet by ship and also risk being seen by the Ori in the process. Logically, a Stargate made sense. The Priors would need labor and transport to accomplish their mission. She just hoped they'd be able to narrow it down in time.

"Thelass, I want to thank you for your help in this matter," Hammond said. "If there is anything we can do…"

"No," Thelass said, but he seemed to be calmed by General Hammond's hospitable presence. "If the Tau'ri need our assistance in the conflict against the Ori, we will provide any intelligence that we can."

Sam smiled. She knew the Tok'ra could sound as arrogant as the Goa'uld, but she knew that their goals were not all that dissimilar. The SGC might always be suspect of their intentions, but Sam could never turn her back on them completely. No one really understood them they way she did or the way her father did.

"Sam." Jonas nudged her.

Sam looked over at Jonas, concerned over his worried face. She withdrew herself from her thoughts, noting that Landry, Hammond and Davis were talking to Thelass. "What is it?" she asked.

He subtly pointed his finger to where Daniel was standing. Sam stiffened.

He was pale, his eyes half closed, and from the looks of it, was ready to pass out. Whatever was happening, he seemed to be trying to fight it off, though she didn't think he was succeeding.

_Dammit_, she thought. _Don't let this happen. Don't let this happen._

"Whoa, Jackson!" Cameron said suddenly as he and Teal'c rushed to his side, grabbing his arms before he could collapse.

Daniel looked dimly aware of their presence. His eyes kept rolling back and then moving down to refocus. Daniel struggled through labored breathing, and she noticed a sheen of sweat covering his body. At one point, Sam thought he went limp. Then, as every fear and insecurity inside of her bubbled to the surface, he seemed to recover, clearing his throat while regaining his strength.

"I think I need to go to the infirmary," Daniel managed to say as he gasped for air. He steadied himself, but leaned onto Teal'c for support.

"I'll call Doctor Lam," Cameron said, making for the door.

"No, no. I can make it," Daniel said, causing Cameron to stop. His body strengthened with every step he took. Sam could see the shakiness start to vanish. "I think walking will help."

"Teal'c," Landry said. "I want you to escort Doctor Jackson to the infirmary. I'll call Doctor Lam and have her set up an isolation room for him." He turned to Sam. "I want you to work on filtering these details through the Gate system so we can try to find this planet. Major Davis will accompany you."

"Yes, sir."

Davis nodded. "I'll meet you in the control room," he told her.

Hank stayed firm in his resolve, but his eyes became apologetic. "Thelass, I'm sorry that we have to cut this meeting short."

"It is not a problem, General."

"I'll escort you to the Gateroom," Hammond said cordially.

Sam watched Teal'c help Daniel out of the briefing room, while Hammond and Thelass started down the stairs to the control room, Major Davis in tow. Jonas and Cameron remained with her, appearing equally anxious.

"Mister Quinn, Colonel Mitchell, I am calling for an escort to bring you to the infirmary," Hank finally said, moving to his office.

"General?" Jonas asked.

"Why? We're not sick," Cameron said.

"Precaution. If something is finally happening to Doctor Jackson, then I want to make sure it doesn't happen to either of you. Dismissed." With that, he walked into the office and slammed his door.

Sam stared after him, but understood his frustration. She sent her most sympathetic look to Jonas and Cameron, silently pleading that they would be all right. She tried to convince herself that the odds that all three of them could come down with some Ori-related condition was slim. But she had no logic, no proof, to back her reasoning. There were no absolutes here and that's what drove her crazy.

"We'll be okay, Sam," Cameron said, forcing a smile. "Just do what you have to do."

She nodded, scooping up the space station plans, and headed toward the stairwell to join Davis. As Sam left them behind, she became more determined than ever to use her anger and frustration constructively and find some kind of solution.

* * *

Daniel Jackson's stride proved to be erratic as he walked and stumbled down the corridor in a zigzag pattern. Teal'c remained behind him, offering him support where he could, though he knew he appeared distant and aloof. He had to remain this way in the event he had to do unto his friend what he had done unto Volnek. 

Teal'c pushed the thought aside.

"It'll be okay, Teal'c," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I do not wish to discuss the matter."

"No?" Daniel Jackson panted and then swallowed hard. He wiped his face again. "I'm not going to let the Priors or the Ori destroy me, Teal'c."

"You may not have a choice, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, his voice uneven.

"Who knows," he said, sounding too light hearted for Teal'c's liking. "Maybe whatever the Priors were trying to do backfired."

Teal'c did not believe so. "What has lead you to this conclusion?"

"You were able to reach Gerak," he said, stopping to lean on the wall.

"And it cost him his life."

"I know. It shouldn't have happened. But it proves that people influenced by the Priors or even the Ori can still be saved, one way or another." Daniel Jackson exhaled and leaned over, as if he had just run a marathon.

Teal'c walked to his friend's side. "It was not the case with Volnek."

"No. No, I guess you're right." He coughed and then moaned, holding onto his stomach. "Sometimes there is no choice. But sometimes there is."

Teal'c firmly believed they should delay no longer. He cast away his friend's ramblings and grabbed his arm, helping him to stand. Daniel Jackson shook him off and turned to face the wall.

"No, just give me a minute."

"Daniel Jackson, we must depart at once." Teal'c reached for his friend yet again.

Daniel Jackson did not move, his eyes dull and unfocused. "And sometimes the choice is one that was made long ago."

Teal'c hesitated, frowning at his friend's cryptic words. He reached to touch his shoulder.

He did not have time to react. Daniel Jackson's fist connected with his jaw. The blow was filled with a might Teal'c had not known he could possess. Stunned, Teal'c stumbled back, nearly losing his footing. As he steadied himself and regained his composure, Daniel Jackson reared and struck again. This time Teal'c fell to the ground.

"Daniel Jackson!" he called, immediately pushing himself off the floor with his hands in order to engage him.

His friend did not answer. He grabbed Teal'c, sneering in a way that caused Teal'c much pain, before he slammed him against the wall.

However, this time, Teal'c was prepared. As Daniel Jackson hurled his next blow, Teal'c stopped his fist, pushing it back. Daniel Jackson grunted, struggling against the force. When he reached with his second fist, Teal'c blocked that one as well.

"Whatever the Priors have done to your mind, you must fight to overcome it," Teal'c told him, hoping to appeal to the decency in his friend's heart. "You are a man of honor, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel Jackson laughed at him, pausing long enough for Teal'c to realize he was only toying with him. In an instant, Daniel Jackson pushed back, easily overcoming Teal'c, and spun him around to face the wall. Teal'c was blind to what the man who once was his friend had planned.

It happened. As Teal'c called for assistance, ashamed at his own inadequacies, he felt Daniel Jackson's elbow ram into the base of his skull. The pain flared like hot white light before Teal'c was plunged into darkness.

* * *

Daniel ran down the corridors, wasting no time in finding the holding area. He bypassed Jack's enclosed cell and entered the room where Janet was being held. 

"Doctor Jackson?" the sentry asked.

Daniel walked by him and closed in on Janet. "Tell me where the Ori are," he said bluntly.

He wasn't surprised that Janet seemed shocked by his question. "Daniel?" she asked.

"Take me to the Ori. Take me to the Priors. I need to see them."

"Doctor Jackson," the soldier said. "You're not allowed—"

"Shut up," he snapped, keeping focused on Janet. If anyone knew where he could find them, she did. "Take me to them."

Janet hesitated, moving away from the bars. "Daniel, what's the matter with you?"

"Doctor Jackson, you are not authorized to be here. I'm—"

Daniel spun around and elbowed the soldier in the face. When he fell to the ground, Daniel relieved him of his weapons and tied him up in the corner. He couldn't have people getting in his way. He had a job to do.

"Daniel!" Janet shouted, as if her tone would change his mind.

He ignored her, quickly unlocking her cell, and opened the door. He grabbed her arm, dragged her toward the door, and urged her to move. "We'll grab Cassie and go to the Priors together," he said as they started toward the VIP rooms.

"We'll leave Cassie out of this," she said firmly.

"No time." He dug his fingers deeper into her arm, pulling her along. They had to move faster. "We have to go now."

"Go?" Janet shook her head and resisted. He pulled her harder. "Daniel, this isn't how I wanted it to be."

"You don't understand." He knew none of them would. Not in the end. "I need to see the Ori. I need to be with them." He swallowed hard, knowing it was almost over. "I'm _supposed_ to be with them."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jack tossed the color copies on Hank Landry's desk. "There's your proof," he said.

Hank reached over and grabbed the sheets, mulling over each one in turn. Jack waited and waited and waited…

"Do you mind hurrying it up? I'm not getting any younger here."

Jack caught Hank smirk from in between the pages. "You realize these photos prove that you enjoy playing practical jokes on yourself?"

Jack returned with a smirk of his own. "Hey, I never said I _liked_ me."

"True enough." Hank put the sheets down and reached for the phone. "I guess I should be thankful for that," he said with a chuckle. "Let's get Jack out of—"

Hank was cut off by a loud blaring noise. Jack remembered the shrill sounds of the alarm system as if he'd only heard them yesterday. He stopped for a second before his mind clicked and he was flung back into action mode.

"Where did the alarm originate?" Jack asked.

Hank was already on the phone. He nodded, muttered a few words, and hung up the receiver. "The alarm originated close to the infirmary, but I just received a call from Airman Ellison. Doctor Jackson clocked him and busted out Fraiser."

Jack couldn't believe it. Had Daniel gone nuts?

"Sir, permission to—"

Hank shook his head. "I've requested for Jack to be released. I want you to get those photos down to Agent Barrett so we can find who the real mastermind is behind this. We'll handle Jackson."

Jack scowled but nodded. Just because he was stuck in some kid's body didn't mean his mind had gone soft. He still could take down Daniel or Fraiser if necessary.

"I know you want to help, Jack, but rooting out any moles will help us focus our resources on the Ori and whatever has happened to Daniel and Fraiser." He stood and headed toward the door. "I need you to do this."

"Yeah, I know." He took the pictures off Hank's desk, frowning when he saw him heading to the briefing room. "Where are you going?"

Hank paused by the door and grabbed the frame, sticking his head back inside. "To nab some backup."

* * *

"Any luck?" Major Davis asked. 

Sam shook her head. "The problem is the parameters that Thelass gave us are too broad. I've come up with over a hundred planets that fit this description."

She glanced down at the details that Thelass had given her. The planet in question had light only touching part of its surface. That had ruled out the majority of the planets they had visited but didn't wipe out as many as she would have hoped. SG-1 had been to worlds with slow planetary rotations, delayed rotations, and no rotations. They'd gated to meteors that were almost entirely shrouded in darkness to planets that were covered in light except for underground caverns.

Thelass had also told her that Ba'al had lifted the plans from a "primitive" people. Sam rubbed her forehead. While she realized the term primitive wasn't PC – a lesson she'd learned the first time she'd been called primitive, she had to admit that in all the years they'd traveled through the Stargate SG-1 had encountered more less-advanced races than advanced. And sometimes the advanced races weren't as advanced as they seemed. Wasn't the term primitive all relative, anyway?

The last detail provided by Thelass consisted of a few glyphs that Sam couldn't read. Thelass couldn't make out the glyphs himself, but was confident that some of the SGC's linguists could. With Tok'ra numbers dwindling, they just didn't have the same resources they once had. She had wanted to ask Daniel but with him being rushed off to the infirmary…

"I asked for a linguist to be sent down here fifteen minutes ago," Sam mumbled.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon." He stopped and pointed at the screen. "Isn't there any way you can narrow this down?"

"I wish it were that simple. I really don't know what I'm looking for," she said. "And most of the planets in our database are populated with people who are our allies. Like Jonas, they have been very forthcoming with attacks by the Priors."

"So, you're looking for planets that fit the description where we weren't able to make allies?" Davis asked.

Sam nodded. "Just based on the parameters alone I had over a hundred matches. I filtered out any planets where we have known allies and the list dropped to forty. Now, that is still too broad for us if we want to try to locate this station as quickly as possible. An attack could literally be days from now."

"The glyphs will help identify the culture."

"Exactly," Sam said. "It could at least narrow the field so we can—"

She stopped, caught off guard by the blaring alarms.

"What was that?" Major Davis asked, standing.

"I don't know." Sam switched to another screen and started typing. Within seconds, she was able to pinpoint the source of the alarm.

"Near the infirmary," she said, inwardly crushed. She shook her head and grabbed the nearest phone, quickly dialing the main number.

"Lam," she heard as the reply.

"Doctor Lam, it's Colonel Carter. Is everything secure?"

"You're talking about the alarm," she said coolly. "Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn made it to the infirmary, but Teal'c and Doctor Jackson haven't arrived yet."

_Dammit_, Sam thought, grimacing.

"It's Doctor Jackson," Landry said, surprising both Sam and Davis with his presence. He motioned for the phone. Sam handed it to him and stood, moving out of his way. " Tell them to stay put," he said to Lam. "I don't care how much they protest. Yes." He hung up the phone.

Sam needed answers. "Sir?"

He motioned for Davis and Sam to walk with him as he headed toward the exit. "I have a report from the guard standing watch by Fraiser's door that he was attacked by Doctor Jackson."

Sam couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it. "Teal'c?" she asked.

"We suspect he's the one that pulled the alarm." Hank paused and turned to face the both of them. "I'm going down to the infirmary to make sure they are prepared to take in Doctor Jackson. I want the two of you to get to the armory and hunt him down."

Sam hesitated and shifted her weight uneasily, but finally nodded, knowing she had a job to do. It didn't mean she had to like it. Sam waved for Davis to follow her as they started down the corridor.

"Doctor Jackson broke out Fraiser and didn't head to the Gateroom," he said. "How are we going to locate where they're hiding?"

Sam thought back to the last conversation she'd had with Daniel in the holding area. She broke out into a run, leaving a bewildered Davis to try to catch up with her.

"I know exactly where they're going!" she called out. She hoped this time that she was wrong.

* * *

Jack swung the door open and charged out of his cell. "What's the situation?" he asked the sentry on his way out. 

"Doctor Jackson reportedly attacked Airman Ellison and freed Doctor Fraiser," he said hurrying to keep up with Jack. "The base is on alert to find them."

"Any idea where they went?"

The soldier shook his head. "No, not at this time, sir."

"Okay." It figured this would all blow up in their faces but Jack didn't have time to think about that right now. "Get back to your post and report to Landry. Tell him I'm assembling a scout team."

"Yes, sir."

Jack didn't bother to watch him go, solely focused on getting to the armory. There, he could grab a zat and a sidearm and start his plan of attack. He had to make sure they could subdue Daniel before he caused too much damage or made a break for the Gate. Or tried for the surface.

Naturally, Daniel had to go psycho at a time like this. Perfect timing. Damn the Ori. Jack sure as hell hoped they got what was coming to them.

He took the elevator to the armory, jogging down the corridor to get to the compartment. He increased his pace when he noticed a figure slumped by the armory's entrance.

"Teal'c!" He ran to his side and inspected him. Damn, it looked like Teal'c had been hit hard. "What happened?"

"Daniel Jackson turned against me," he said, nursing the bump at the back of his neck. "I believe that his mind has been turned by the Prior."

That was so not the news Jack wanted to hear right now. With a grunt, he helped Teal'c to his feet and leaned him against the wall. "Any idea where he went?"

Teal'c cast his gaze downward. "I was unable to discern which direction he took."

"That's all right," Jack said, giving Teal'c a pat. "Why don't you get yourself to the infirmary?"

"I will be fine," Teal'c said.

Jack shook his head and sighed. Teal'c was nothing if not stubborn. "Fine. Can you handle searching for Daniel?"

"Indeed I can."

Jack nodded and gave Teal'c another pat. It would have to do. Reaching into the armory, Jack grabbed a zat and a 9mm just in case. He also nabbed a two-way. He tossed the same to Teal'c. Jack strapped the weapons to his belt and jerked his chin, signaling Teal'c to follow him.

"Sir!"

Jack turned to see Carter and Davis running towards them. He and Teal'c stopped, waiting for them to reach the armory.

"Carter, report."

"Daniel has Janet. General Landry's ordered a lockdown of the base and the Gateroom has been secured." She grabbed a sidearm and handed one to Davis. She brought her attention to Jack, her face grave. "Sir, I know where he's heading."

Jack nodded for her to continue.

She secured her weapon and gazed hard at Jack. "They're going for Cassandra."

* * *

Janet stumbled along with Daniel, fighting against his iron grip. He walked with a power and determination that was starting to unsettle her. The more she tried to fight him, the tighter his hold became. 

"Daniel, let go." Janet grunted, nearly falling as he dragged her down the hall.

He didn't reply. The two of them kept walking, moving closer and closer to the VIP suites.

"Just what do you think you're doing? Are you trying to make a point?" She jerked back but he pulled her forward to compensate. "It's not going to work."

Daniel had tried interrogating her, tried to turn her beliefs inside out. He had tried sympathy and understanding. He had tried to use her daughter. And now it looked like he was attempting reverse psychology. It wasn't going to work.

"I believe in the Ori because _I believe_," she said. "I saw their kindness. They gave me a second chance. They gave me the chance to return home and be with my daughter. Whatever you're planning won't work, Daniel. It only strengthens my resolve."

"We're going to get Cassie, and then we'll leave through the Stargate," he said without looking at her. "You'll take me to the Priors. They will take me to the Ori."

His voice was low, monotone, and stilted. It didn't sound like him at all. Concerned, she tried to catch a glimpse at his face, tried to read any emotion in his features that would reassure her that Daniel was with her.

All she saw was a plain, emotionless façade and dull, unfocused eyes hiding beneath his glasses. Janet stiffened, wondering if maybe this wasn't reverse psychology after all.

The Priors had told her before they went to Kelowna. They had told her that the day was nearing when she would be reunited with her daughter and her friends. But they had also told her that the prodigal son would be returning to them.

She thought they were speaking figuratively. She stole a glance at Daniel. Now she wasn't so sure.

"Daniel, please. Listen to me."

He stopped in front of one of the VIP room doors, searching the surface. He pressed his free hand onto the metal. "Cassandra?" he asked. "It's Daniel."

Janet tried to weasel out of his grasp. She'd thought the Priors had reached out to Daniel to show him the truth. She didn't want them to change him. She just wanted peace and understanding. That's all she wanted.

"Daniel, bringing Cassie through the Stargate isn't going to solve anything. Let's stay here. The Ori will come to us."

He shook his head, withdrawing his card and slipping it through the card reader. The door clicked. He pushed back his jacket and pocketed the card. What she saw by his side made her cold.

"Daniel," she whispered. "What do you need the gun for?"

"In case she doesn't listen."

Janet held her breath and felt her body go numb. She couldn't even believe what Daniel was suggesting. "Daniel," she said, her voice nearly a snarl. "Don't you—"

"Cassandra," Daniel called, entering the room, still holding onto Janet with his other hand. "I've freed your mother."

Cassie had been sitting on the bed, half way between sliding off to answer Daniel when the two of them had come through the door. She tossed her book on the mattress, her eyes widening with delight when she saw Janet. "Mom!" she cried, running to hug her.

Daniel released his hold on Janet, allowing her to move to Cassie. Janet relished every minute of it. She brought her daughter into her arms, holding her close. She didn't want to let go. She never wanted to let go.

"Mom," Cassie said excitedly. She let go of Janet, but stayed by her side, her face beaming. It was as if their prior conversation had never taken place. "They let you go!" she exclaimed. "Does this mean you can go home now?"

Janet hesitated, not quite sure what to say. She saw the love, hope, and joy in her daughter's face. She'd missed her so much. She'd missed so much.

"You're a woman now," Janet said, stroking her face. "You're so beautiful. I didn't get to tell you before."

Cassie's cheeks blushed pink over the compliment. "But they let you go. Does this mean you're…okay now?"

The comment shook her, drawing her out of the moment and back into reality. The smile vanished from her face. That's how they saw her. Sick. Different. She had aligned with their enemy.

Janet heard the door click behind her.

"Daniel?" Cassie asked, sounding confused. "What's wrong?"

Janet watched as Daniel slowly moved toward them. His face remained like stone, his eyes wildly unfocused. "We've come to take you to the Ori," he said.

Cassie laughed and started toward him. She froze when she saw Daniel withdraw his gun.

"Cassie, don't." Janet whispered, trying to grab onto her sleeve.

"Daniel?" Cassie asked again. Her gaze fell to the gun. "What are you doing?"

"I need to see the Ori," he said. He paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I have to be with them. I can't get there without your mother. The only way I can get her to go is through you."

"Mom?" Cassie shot Janet a nervous look.

"That's not true, honey."

"You planned this?" Cassie asked, backing away from both Janet and Daniel. "You've come to take me away?"

"It's the will of the Ori, Cassie," Daniel said.

"No, it's not," Janet said through clenched teeth. "Daniel, I don't know what they're telling you this time, but it's not true."

"You've never believed in the Ori," Cassie said. "What's happened to you?"

"I-I have to see them," he said. He moaned and wiped his forehead with his arm, coughing as he tried the aim the gun. "They're doing something to me. I have to find out. I need to see them."

"Not this way," Janet said. She held out her hand. "Just give me the gun."

He sniffled, his eyes growing glassy. "Shut up," he said. "I have to go. Let's go now."

"Daniel, please. Please don't do this," Cassie pleaded, moving farther away from them. She stumbled around the bed. Daniel moved to follow her.

Janet felt frozen. Why would the Ori push Daniel to do this? Why was he going after Cassie? Cassie was everything to her.

"Put the gun down," Janet demanded. "She has nothing to do with this. I'll take you to the Ori. I'll bring you to the Priors. Leave her alone!"

Cassie flattened herself against the wall while Daniel cornered her quickly. "There will be obstacles in your path." He coughed and leveled his weapon. "The devout are pure of heart and do not stray."

"I haven't strayed!" Janet yelled. "I came here to tell everyone about the Ori!"

"Your heart lies. For even the fruit can sour." His face darkened. "Only when the spoiled have been taken, can the pure be set free."

"Daniel, you're sick!" Cassie shouted. She started to cry. "Mom, please. Mom. Mom…"

"It's okay, Cassie," he said in a deceptively calm voice. He cocked the gun. "It'll be over soon."

Janet balled her fists, fighting the immobility caused by shock. Daniel had a gun on her daughter and he was going to shoot her. Daniel was going to kill Cassie. The Ori were going to kill Cassie. Both Daniel and Cassie were going to die and it was her fault.

Tears streaming down her face, Janet grabbed the lamp by the bedside and charged for Daniel. "You leave my daughter alone!" she cried, smashing the lamp onto his skull.

Daniel shouted something in Latin, stumbling back, before he collapsed onto the bed. Janet stared at what she had done, watching as the blood streamed down the back of his neck, pouring into little rivulets across his cheek until the blood pooled onto the mattress.

She looked past him to find her shocked and frightened daughter trembling in the corner. Immediately, Janet rushed over to Cassie and brought her into her arms. "I'm so sorry, Cassie," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"Mom." She buried her face into Janet's chest, her muffled sobs vibrating through Janet. "I love you, Mom."

Janet wiped away her tears. "I love you, too."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Cassie pulled away from Janet, sniffled, and wiped her face before collapsing onto the wall for support. She glanced at the bed. "We have to help him. He didn't mean for it to happen this way."

Janet followed her gaze to where Daniel had fallen unconscious. She shook away the shock over what had happened – and what had almost happened – between her daughter and Daniel, summoning the strength to handle the situation with a clear head. "Call for security," she said, walking over to the nightstand. She pulled it open to find a small medical kit. "I'll bandage him, and then we'll—"

A pounding on the door caused Janet to jump. As she moved back towards Daniel and Cassie, General O'Neill burst through the doors, his weapon drawn. In no time, Janet found the gun aimed at her, along with three more as Sam, Teal'c, and Major Davis spilled into the room. Janet grabbed the medical kit and held up her hands. She had to admit that she was both relieved and anxious to see them.

"General—" Janet began.

"Don't move!" O'Neill shouted. "Stay right there!" He quickly scanned the room, his face darkening when he caught sight of the blood. "Davis! Go get a medical team."

"Yes, sir," Major Davis said, his nervous and disgusted expression turning into concern as he fled the room.

"Oh my God," Sam said. She moved toward the center of the room, staring open-mouthed at Daniel's inert body that lay half on the bed.

"Mom saved me," Cassie said. She was still crowding the wall, hugging herself, her unsteady gaze on Daniel. "He's sick. She wants to help him. Please let her help him."

Janet waited impatiently for O'Neill to give her the okay. She'd done what she'd needed to do to protect Cassandra, but now she had to carry out her job, something she hadn't done in so long.

"Go," O'Neill said, but kept his weapon trained on Janet. "Carter, help her." He turned to Cassie. "You all right?"

She nodded. "Daniel went nuts. He kept talking about the Ori."

"Yeah." O'Neill's voice was quiet. Janet could feel his eyes on her.

Janet made her way over to Daniel, carefully pulling back the hair at the nape of his neck. She pressed onto different areas of his skull, careful not to aggravate the wound, as she checked for any shards that could have splintered from the lamp and become embedded in his skin. Luckily, the lamp had just nicked him, though she would have never guessed by the amount of blood he'd lost. Janet was more concerned with his concussion than anything else.

As she started to clean and bandage the wound, Janet saw Teal'c stagger. "Teal'c? Are you feeling all right?" She handed the kit to Sam.

"Daniel did a number on him," O'Neill said. He motioned with his chin toward one of the spare chairs in the room. "Take a seat and the Doc will take a look at you."

"I am fine."

"Ah." O'Neill motioned to the chair. "Sit."

Teal'c begrudgingly complied and eased himself into the chair. For a moment, Janet caught herself smiling, remembering all the times she'd patched up minor injuries for Teal'c and the rest of SG-1, and remembering the pride she felt when one of them would find the strength to pull through the severe cases. She missed their comfort and O'Neill's attitude. It almost felt like old times.

She sobered when she looked down at Daniel. Yes, like old times.

"Will he be okay?' Sam asked her, holding back Daniel's collar so that Janet could work.

Janet nodded. "The amount of blood is deceptive. It's a minor head wound." She finished, folding the collar of his BDU jacket over the bandage.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

Janet didn't know if she even wanted to tell Sam. She was still trying to figure it out herself. As she wiped her hands, she found herself staring at the wound and the broken lamp on the floor. Her cheeks burned.

"Janet?" Sam asked, touching her back.

Janet swallowed hard. "The Ori did something to him. He was going to kill Cassie." Quickly, Janet packed up the first aid kit and cleared her throat. "Will you see to Cassie? I need to tend to Teal'c."

Janet didn't wait for Sam to respond. She didn't even wait to see her reaction. She just moved over to where Teal'c was sitting and pressed onto his swollen neck. The flesh was tender and red. She massaged a little harder, gauging Teal'c's reaction as she worked. "Well, it looks like he hit you hard, but it doesn't look like anything serious. Still, I'd like to run some tests to make sure you don't have any fractures."

Despite his injury, Teal'c bowed ever so slightly. "Thank you, Doctor Fraiser."

Janet forced a smile, closed up the first aid kit and stopped, realizing O'Neill was watching her. He wore that hard, embattled look, his attention split between her and Daniel. Janet sighed.

"Look, I know you have no reason to trust me," Janet said. "I don't blame you. But I know where I can be useful. Please let me accompany you to the infirmary. I'd like to keep an eye on Daniel and Teal'c. You can keep me under guard," she said, stealing a glance over to Cassie as Sam consoled her. "I just can't stand by and watch people suffer without being able to do anything."

O'Neill didn't move a muscle.

"Please, Jack," Cassie said. "I know she's been with the Priors for so long, but she really wants to help. I know she does."

O'Neill kept the gun aloft, while he seemed to consider the request. After another glimpse at Daniel, he nodded and motioned for Sam to escort Janet and Cassie out of the room. As Sam led the way, Janet looked back, watching O'Neill reach for the phone while keeping his weapon trained on Daniel.

"Yeah, it's O'Neill. I need a security team in here to transport Daniel to the infirmary."

* * *

Malcolm had spent the greater part of the last two hours trying to find any kind of evidence that would clear General O'Neill. Supposedly, General Landry was working on some lead given to him by the clone kid, though Malcolm figured that might be more of a self-preservation issue. For him to really believe that O'Neill wasn't trying to save his own ass, he was going to need something else. 

So, while the time went by and he lost track whether it was night or day in this claustrophobic mountain, he'd been pouring over the records that General Clark had sent him. Pages and pages of records.

Right now, Malcolm was certain he could tell anyone exactly who was a regular when it came to the Nishta Project. Official after official…mostly high ranking at that.

Thankfully, Colonel Carter had enough foresight to also request the logs for Joseph Owens, who was not officially associated with the Nishta Project. Malcolm had matched NID logs to the Area 51 logs and gone from there.

So far, Malcolm had been able to sketch an outline of activity for Owens. Over a year ago, he had been associated with a different project, something to do with defense technology. Owens's entry dates matched what they had on file for the NID. Malcolm could only assume he was doing double duty while at Area 51. Then, he had left the NID, but interestingly enough, his logs at Area 51 did not stop.

In fact, they stopped just prior to Colonel Carter's arrival at Area 51.

Malcolm had General O'Neill's authorization on the project, which also occurred just prior to her arrival. General Clark had also shared records with him indicating that the President had authorized some trial runs and preliminary investigations on nishta, a time period that matched when Emerson and Owens were working together. However, it was when the program became official with full administrative sanction and with O'Neill's support and backing that Owens disappeared.

That was until four months ago when he came back under presidential order to obtain a sample. From his conversations with Emerson, Owens refused the new prototype they were working on, opting to bring the older one back with him to Washington.

With all this new information, Malcolm was convinced that it was bullshit. President Hayes would not send an ex-NID agent to Area 51 to retrieve an outdated sample. Not when a new prototype was just being completed and when he had officially sanctioned the project to begin with.

Feeling a surge of energy from this latest revelation, Barrett flipped through his files and found the document General Clark had received from Owens. He grabbed the one he had that showed General O'Neill's and President Hayes' signatures. He set them both down side by side and compared the two.

Damn, why hadn't anyone caught this?

The workmanship was good, but not flawless.

The Owens presidential order was a forgery.

This meant that Owens was involved with the preliminary project under false pretenses, and then returned with a fake presidential order.

It also meant that he had to have people in pretty high places to pull it off.

Malcolm started to go through all the documents, this time with more fervor. If it wasn't O'Neill, then who could it be? Who would have had access to his office? Who would have had access to his files and could have worked around his passwords? Who would General O'Neill trust?

And then, as Barrett was staring at some of the logs from the past few months from Area 51, it all made sense. One name consistently popped out at him.

"Dammit," he mumbled.

Malcolm grabbed the documents and made for the door. He had to show his evidence to General Landry immediately.

He stopped, surprised at the figure standing in the doorway. Malcolm took a step back, reaching for his own weapon.

Too late.

The other man fired.

* * *

Jack strolled down the hallway, tapping the color copies in his hands with his escort in tow as he made his way to Agent Barrett's temporary office. He'd much rather be looking for Daniel. But just stick the kid with the boring jobs… 

He stopped and looked up, a smirk touching his lips. The alarms had stopped. Perfect. They must have found Daniel.

Damn, he hoped they were okay.

With a sigh, Jack pressed onward. He supposed he could clear the old man's name. It was the least he could do.

Besides, if Jack gave him any lip, he still had the original copies of the whipped cream incident back at his apartment. If Jack knew what was good for him, he'd cut him some slack. Someone needed to cut him a break already.

The gunshot took him totally by surprise.

Jack froze and pressed himself against the wall, glancing back at his escort to confirm he'd heard what he thought he'd heard. When the airman nodded, Jack sighed. It figured.

"Lieutenant," he said, keeping his voice low. "Hand me your sidearm."

"Sir?"

"Just do it."

He frowned. "I'm not auth—"

"Believe it or not, I actually outrank you, _Lieutenant._ Now give me the gun."

Lieutenant Hawkes hesitated but then complied, handing his sidearm over to Jack. After Jack checked the gun, he gave Hawkes the hand signal to wait before he started forward. Quietly, Jack crept along the wall, edging closer and closer to Barrett's office.

The door was open and the lights were off. Never a good sign.

As he approached the entrance he balked, surprised to find General Hammond exiting the office, a pile of paperwork tucked under his arm. He had started to close the door when he saw Jack. Hammond frowned and shut the door.

"General?" Jack asked, still keeping his gun level.

"Jack," Hammond said, sounding genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same." He looked to the door and then to Hammond. Jack focused on the paperwork in particular. "What's in your hands?"

"Oh this?" Hammond chuckled. "Nothing for you to worry about, son. General Landry sent me here to check on Agent Barrett."

Jack knew it was possible. Hank had people working on several projects. And this was Hammond. But Jack also knew that there was something off about this whole thing. He decided to play his hand carefully.

"I thought I'd heard something," Jack said.

Hammond smiled at him. "You must have been hearing things, son. Now, why don't you just get settled in."

"Nah, I don't think so." He glared at Hammond. "Besides, I just came from talking with Landry. He told me everything."

"I'm sorry?" Hammond said. Jack couldn't help but notice his eyes had fallen to the color copies Jack had dropped on the way to Barrett's office. His face grew dark. That's when Jack realized his other hand was concealed.

Crap.

"Don't move!" Jack shouted, cocking the gun.

Hammond dropped the paperwork and drew his gun, aiming for Jack. For once, Jack was thankful for his new and improved younger body. He ducked and rolled out of the way, recovering quickly enough to take a shot at Hammond.

Hammond staggered, shocked by the blow before he finally collapsed. Carefully, Jack made his way over to him and gave him a quick check. He was breathing and the wound was superficial. Jack sighed with relief.

"Sorry, sir," he said. He wiped his nose and took a breath. "Lieutenant!" he called. "I need a medical team down here!"

After he took a moment to compose himself, Jack walked over Hammond's body and into Barrett's office. He heard the crunching under his feet as he made his way through the darkened office, feeling for the light. He flipped the switch.

"Damn."

Barrett hadn't faired as well as Hammond. It looked as though Hammond had been shooting to kill.

Jack stashed the gun behind his back and rushed to Barrett's side. He was pale, sweaty, and unconscious; there was blood everywhere. Jack made a face as he knelt by Barrett's side. He always hated this part.

"Hang in there," he told Barrett, pressing his hands against his abdomen. "Help is on the way."

* * *

Sam stood alongside Janet, Cassie, and General O'Neill in the room above the isolation chamber, while Teal'c and General Landry sat at the console. Below them, Daniel lay strapped on a gurney. Once again, he had a dozen machines fastened to him, all of which were monitoring him closely. Doctor Lam checked his restraints again before she moved toward the door. 

Sam frowned as she studied a second monitoring device by Daniel's side. She hadn't been expecting to ever see that again. Sam started to get that sinking feeling again.

"I've given him a sedative," Lam said as she entered the observation room. "But it's not going to be enough."

"What do you mean?" Landry asked.

Lam opened up her file and removed two films. She placed the first one down and took a step back so they all could see it. Sam recognized it right away.

"It's a brain scan," Janet said, pulling away from Cassie to lean over the console. She frowned, her fingers touching the edges of the film. "This can't be possible. It's showing increased brain function in several parts of the brain." She looked to O'Neill and then back to Lam. "Are these General O'Neill's old readings?"

Lam shook her head. "They belong to a man named Khalek."

When Janet appeared confused, Sam tried to explain it to her. "He was a human encoded with Anubis' genetic memory and was well on his way to willful ascension."

"What's this have to do with Daniel?" O'Neill asked. Though, by his tone, she figured he already anticipated what the answer would be.

Sam hoped she was wrong. Just let them all be wrong.

"This is Daniel's." Lam placed the film down next to the one they had of Khalek.

Sam bowed her head and closed her eyes, covered them with her hand. They were nearly identical. Daniel's brain pattern was mimicking that of Khalek's.

"So, what are you telling me? That Daniel's ascending or that Daniel's turning into another Anubis?" O'Neill asked, angry.

"I can't answer that," Lam said. "But I've connected him to the monitor we found in Anubis' lab and it's already showing tremendous advancement." She took the films and slipped them back into the folder. With a sigh, she crossed her arms. "Daniel's wound is completely healed. It's likely that he has telepathic or telekinetic abilities as well."

"Is there not a way to reverse the process?" Teal'c asked. His gaze remained focused on Daniel.

Lam shrugged. "Not that I know of."

"There has to be something," Janet said.

"Daniel can't be evil," Cassie said. She wrapped her arms around herself, hanging back from the rest of them. "I think he's just confused."

"He tried to kill you," Lam said bluntly.

Cassie didn't reply and looked away.

"Whatever is going on with Daniel, I don't want him leaving that room," Landry said, standing. "Whether he's on the path to Ascension or he's a tool of the Ori, he tried to kill someone. Keep him under lock and key."

Lam nodded. "Okay."

Sam sighed, bringing her gaze back to Daniel. She found it hard to believe that after everything that had happened, all it would take was the bang of a Prior's staff to change him and take him away. It couldn't be that simple.

"What about Mitchell and Jonas?" O'Neill asked.

"So far, no problems," Lam said. "I have them under isolation in another room, but they haven't displayed any of the same traits or characteristics that Daniel has."

"It's possible that this is solely related to Doctor Jackson?" Landry asked.

"I would say so."

"We've already deduced that Kelowna was a set up," Sam said. "The Priors were after Daniel. It would make sense that he would be their victim." She turned to Janet. "Is there anything you can tell us that could help us?"

"They kept telling me they were going to open Daniel's mind," Janet said quietly. "I had no idea that this is what they meant."

"Isn't that just wonderful," O'Neill said with a scowl. "Any ideas on how we can stop him? Floor's open."

Sam didn't know what to think. If Daniel's mind had been warped and he was advancing, they couldn't allow him to ascend. She thought of stasis or some kind of suspended animation to keep him at bay. She thought of what happened to Khalek. She didn't want the same to happen to Daniel.

Sam jerked, surprised to hear the alarms blaring again.

"What now?" O'Neill said.

"Doctor Lam to the medical bay! Doctor Lam to the medical bay!"

"Excuse me," Lam said, walking past them.

"I'd better check this out," Landry said, following her.

"Take Carter with you," O'Neill said, waving for Sam to join them at the door. He gave her an almost apologetic look, but she understood. Standing here worrying over Daniel wasn't going to solve any problems. They had to keep working and her skills were needed elsewhere. "And Fraiser," O'Neill added. "Carter, get her set up to work on that prototype Lee and his team have."

Janet nodded her thanks and headed for the door. She motioned to Cassie. "Come on."

"Uh, no." Cassie backed away and pushed herself farther into the corner. "I think I want to stay here and see how Daniel is doing."

"I'm afraid this isn't the best place for you," Landry said.

Cassie didn't move. "Daniel won't hurt me. I know he won't. I'm safe here."

"General Landry is right," Sam said. "Daniel could be dangerous."

"Sweetie, listen to them. We only have your best interests at heart," Janet said, her voice calm.

Sam nodded, fighting to keep her emotions at bay. But it felt so good to have Janet back again.

"Please," she said.

Sam eyed Cassie closely, suddenly getting the impression she was out of the loop about something. She had the sinking feeling maybe Daniel had done something to her. With that thought in mind, Sam gave Cassie a stern look, reminding her just who she was dealing with. Cassie quickly turned away.

"Look, fine," O'Neill said, shrugging his shoulders. "We'll keep on eye on Cassie and I'll order some guards to stand watch over Daniel for extra security." He flicked his wrist in Daniel's general direction. "How long did the sedative work on Khalek?"

"Thirty minutes," Lam said. "We should be able to make relative estimates based on Khalek's data."

"Should," O'Neill mumbled. "Right." He faced Cassie. "Fifteen minutes and then you go."

"But—"

"That's it," O'Neill said. "Take it or leave it."

When no one else in the room came to her aid, she sighed. "Whatever."

"Good, now go," O'Neill said, shooing the rest of them. "We'll take care of things here."

Sam nodded, pushing aside her reluctance, and focused once again on her job. With a sigh, she tried to bury any of the anxiety she felt, and escorted Janet out of the room.

* * *

Janet found herself swept into the frenzy that surrounded the infirmary. With Sam by her side, the two of them rushed into one of the main rooms, caught by the nurses and doctors rushing in every direction. They forgot all about the nishta labs and tried to make sense of the disorder. 

"What happened?" Sam asked, catching up with Lam and Landry.

Lam didn't answer. She pushed past some of the medical personnel who were working feverishly over one of the patients and dug into the chaos. "Over here!" she shouted to one of the nurses.

That's when Janet caught a glimpse of one of the patients. She gasped.

Several of the staff were working to stabilize Hammond. She couldn't see much from where she stood, but she could see and smell the blood. She and Sam moved out of their way so they could work. Janet rolled up her sleeves and walked around them.

"I'm going to help," she told Sam. "You can watch me if you'd like, but I can't—"

Sam didn't reply, but gave a short nod, urging her to continue. She covered her mouth, her eyes misting as she gazed at Hammond.

Janet took the approval and moved to his side. Finding a gap, Janet slid between two of the nurses. Luckily, Hammond wasn't in bad shape. He'd lost some blood, but the bullet wound to his shoulder appeared clean and well calculated. "Let's get him cleaned up!" she ordered, motioning for some help in moving him to a secure and sanitized area. As she was helping to transport him, she stopped, shocked to find another injured person.

"Oh my God, that's Barrett," Sam said, running over to join him.

Janet hurried after her, managing to squeeze between Lam and some other doctor. Unlike Hammond, Barrett was a mess. His fine suit was soaked with the blood that continued to flow from his abdomen.

"Colonel, you need to move," Lam said.

Sam moved, disappearing from view so that Lam could work. Lam pivoted her body, striving for a better angle as she attempted to stabilize him. Without question, Lam handed Janet the IV while other doctors began to stop the blood flow. As Janet strapped Barrett up to the line, they started to cart him into the next room. She knew exactly what this meant. He was being prepped for immediate surgery.

"Doctor Warner is scrubbed and ready," Lam told her. They released Barrett into the care of the OR and started to make their way back to Sam and Landry. Landry seemed otherwise occupied, Janet noticed with a frown.

"Thanks," Lam said. "I'm going to go check on General Hammond. You should work on trying to break down the OC-17 prototype."

Janet nodded. If she wanted to prove herself, she needed to find a project where she could bring her impartiality back to the fore. She would have to deal with her conflicted feelings over the Ori and her return to the SGC later. Now was not the time.

"What the hell happened?" she heard Landry ask, the anger barely contained in his rough voice.

O'Neill's clone, Janet realized. The boy was standing some distance from Hammond as he tried to scrub the blood off his stained hands. "Hammond's the mole," he muttered, rubbing the bacterial soap between his fingers. "I don't know how they got to him, but they did."

"General Hammond?" Sam asked incredulously. She and Janet walked to meet them. "You have to be mistaken."

O'Neill's clone glared at Sam. "I think the guy with the bullet in his gut would say otherwise." When Sam's face paled, he shook his head. "Sorry. Look, I heard a gunshot, got to Barrett's office, and found Hammond. Then, he pulled a gun on me so I shot him in the shoulder."

Janet was silent as she searched the grave faces of her friends. And then it hit her. Daniel might be gone. Hammond had been turned. She supported the enemy. Mitchell and Jonas were in question. She'd almost lost her daughter. Sam, the others…they were losing everyone. They were losing everything.

"I found Barrett inside," O'Neill said. "It looks like Hammond was trying to grab any evidence linking him to Owens."

"This has to do with the nishta?" Janet asked.

"There's no cure," Sam said.

Janet couldn't believe this was impossible. She thought back to Cassie and what could have become of her. "You haven't tried an electrical shock?" she asked.

"This is a newly formed compound. The level of electrical current needed to create a significant shock to the system would surely kill the victim." She shook her head. "We need a cure."

Janet nodded. She knew how much everything was riding on this. "Then what are we waiting for?"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Jack kept his eyes on the guards that were in the room with Daniel, making sure they didn't stray too far. He'd chosen a couple of burly men, unarmed, in case Daniel woke up and found the urge to nab himself a weapon and cause some havoc.

Okay, that just sounded stupid. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea that Daniel could suddenly call things to himself with his mind or that he could go around reading people's thoughts. He was lying there immobile, strapped down so hard that he was going nowhere. Then again, he'd never have imagined Daniel breaking to the point he'd go after Cassie, either.

Jack glanced over to Cassie. She was leaning against the wall, standing behind Teal'c, her nervous gaze focused on Daniel. _Poor kid,_ he thought. What a day she was having.

Jack walked over to her and lowered his voice as not to embarrass her. "You all right?"

She nodded. "I'm glad I got my mom back."

"Yeah." Jack didn't want to dash any of the kid's hopes. Fraiser might have protected her, but that didn't mean her faith in the Ori could be wiped clean. Jack foresaw a long road ahead for the two of them. He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go and get some rest? We'll keep an eye on Daniel. You've had a long day."

"No, I'm okay," she said.

"Daniel Jackson is no longer himself," Teal'c said, swiveling slightly in his chair to face her. Teal'c didn't elaborate his statement. Jack knew that he didn't want to saddle Cassie with anything distasteful. They both knew what they might need to do if Daniel couldn't be brought back.

"I think he'll be okay," Cassie said. "He just didn't know what else to do."

"He tried to shoot you!"

Cassie shrugged and turned away. Jack noticed that she was trying to hide the pink that had entered her cheeks.

Jack scowled, eyeing her closely. He knew that look. "Okay, Cassie. What's bothering you?" he asked. Jack was tired of this song and dance with her.

She shook her head and narrowed her eyes, glowering at him. "I said nothing! Geez, why can't you drop it?"

"Cassie—"

"No, stop. Stop. No more questions." She flung out her hands defensively, keeping her distance. "Sometimes you have to do something bad to make something good."

Jack caught himself on her words and shot Teal'c a knowing look. Teal'c's eyes had widened, his brow crinkled in reflective thought. He was thinking the same thing as Jack.

"Dammit," Jack muttered, walking over to where they had bagged Daniel's weapon. He ripped open the bag and withdrew the sidearm.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said more than asked.

Without another word, Jack dislodged the clip from the 9mm. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Angry, he held up the clip and glared at Cassie. The pink in her cheeks turned into a burning red. Quickly, she turned away and covered her face, unable to meet his gaze. That told Jack enough.

"Son of a bitch," he grumbled, storming out of the room. He thundered down the stairs and burst into the isolation chamber, passing the guards as he marched over to where Daniel was restrained. Daniel didn't move, his face relaxed and his eyes closed. Jack wasn't falling for any more of this crap.

"Open your eyes. I know you're faking it."

When Daniel didn't respond, he shook him. And shook him again. He'd punch him in the face if he didn't open his damn eyes already.

Finally, Daniel yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He frowned, sniffled, and raised his head as far as he could under the restraints. "Jack?" he asked sleepily.

"Oh, quit the act, Daniel," Jack muttered. "I found the empty clip."

Daniel blinked and nodded, closing his eyes. "Oh. Okay."

Jack grabbed him by the collar and shook him awake, startling Daniel back to consciousness. "You never had any intention of shooting Cassie. You've been playing us from the start."

"What?" Daniel glanced down at Jack's hands. His eyes darkened. "Let go."

"Not until I get some answers."

"Jack, I'm restrained." He tugged at his restraints to make the point. "And I'm drugged. I'm really going to get far."

"Yeah?" He held onto Daniel and shook him once more before releasing him, pointing to the equipment to his far left. "Well, the monitor there says differently."

Daniel rolled his eyes and slumped, relaxing under the restraints. "What do you want me to tell you?" he asked in a bored tone.

"The truth. You've been lying to me. Carter. Everyone."

"The truth? Hmm." Daniel chuckled. "Wait. Haven't you been having a problem with that yourself, recently?"

Jack was not getting into this with Daniel right now. "Drop the attitude."

"No. No, really. I'd like to hear this one."

"You know what? Whatever. Stay here and rot." Jack walked away from the gurney and headed for the door. He was going to order them to triple the dosage on Daniel and hopefully knock him out. Jack had more pressing matters to deal with than Daniel's over-inflated self-righteous ego.

"I had to do it alone for it to work," Daniel said, calling out to him. "I didn't know what else to do."

Jack thought that was a load of crap. But despite his anger, he stopped by the door and faced Daniel. "Did you think about sharing your little plan with anyone else?"

"Cassie told you." Daniel sighed and closed his eyes.

Yeah," Jack said, walking back to him. "Though, not deliberately."

"Janet wasn't going to break, Jack. Cassie agreed with me."

"Of course she did. She's a kid! This is her mother. What else was she going to say?"

"Look, it doesn't matter now," Daniel said. "Whether you agree with me or not, we broke through to Janet. Maybe we can save her."

Jack groaned. Daniel and his stupid savior complex. "You could have told us instead of doing something like this on your own."

"Oh, you would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"Don't," Jack said, jabbing his finger at Daniel. "Don't go there. Two different situations."

"What is good for one isn't good for the other?"

Jack held his breath, keeping his lips tight as he bottled up the anger inside. It was times liked these where he just wanted to throttle Daniel. Maybe ten years ago he would have.

"Whatever," he finally said, letting it go. Daniel wasn't a _complete_ psycho so he guessed he should count his blessings. "Everything worked out, and you're okay."

"Not exactly."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Something's happened to me. You're trying to ignore it, but you can't."

"No?" He pointed to the monitor again. "I'm pretty sure I know what's happening."

"I'm not going to go crazy."

"Could have fooled me," Jack said with a smug smile.

"Jack, just listen."

"To what?" Jack sighed, trying the best he could to ram his point through Daniel's thick skull. "Daniel, a Prior attacked you. He did something to your brain. Now, whether you tried to help Fraiser is irrelevant. The fact is you are not yourself and that's dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Daniel frowned, looking both upset and stunned. "Jack, I wouldn't hurt anyone."

"You hurt Teal'c."

"I—" Daniel shut his mouth.

"Yeah," Jack said. "And your behavior isn't exactly normal."

"It's not important. The important thing is that whatever the Priors were trying backfired, and we can use that against them." He rolled his head to the side and eyed the monitor. Jack hadn't failed to notice he'd brought the topic away from Teal'c. "Besides, I'm fairly sure that Mitchell stopped the Prior before he went too far."

"And just what is too far, anyway?"

"I don't know."

The room grew quiet. He realized that he and Daniel had reached that point where they didn't have much else to say. Sometimes it felt like a roller coaster, but there was no rush, no thrill when the ride was over. It was just over.

Jack reached over and dragged a chair to the side of the gurney, settling beside Daniel. Jack remained silent, keeping his eye on him while allowing Daniel to watch him. Every so often Jack's gaze flickered over to catch the monitor. Carter said it had been nicknamed the Ascendometer. Jack didn't want to know.

"It's hard to keep it inside," Daniel said, surprising Jack when he heard the fear in his voice. "I knew something was wrong when I woke up here the first time."

"I've been told your tests were normal."

"They were. The burning didn't start until recently."

Burning…Jack slumped his shoulders and tried to rub away the tension in his face with his hand. "Daniel, for cryin' out loud…"

"I know I should have said something sooner. But I couldn't do anything if I was locked up in here. I _can't _do anything in here."

Jack ignored the veiled plea and shook his head. He steeled himself, uncomfortable with the fact that Daniel might be able to tap into his thoughts. He was uncomfortable about a lot of things Daniel supposedly could do.

But none of that made a difference right now. Jack cleared his throat and winced as he shifted his weight on the seat, struggling to find the right way to approach the topic. "So, what exactly—?"

"Can I do?" Daniel laughed, but it felt cold and restrained. "I don't know. Part of me doesn't want to know."

"You haven't tried anything?"

"No, not really. Except with Teal'c," he said, cringing when he said the name. Finally. "Is he okay?"

"Depends," Jack said, stealing a glance at the mirror.

Daniel sighed.

"And your head seems better," Jack said, motioning to Daniel.

"I didn't know I could do that."

So, Daniel didn't have control over what was happening to him. Even better.

Jack found himself eyeing the monitor again, watching the red and green splotches battling it out for full control. Carter had told him that the more the red encompassed the screen, the closer to Ascension the person became. Jack didn't think the green was going to win this one.

He rubbed his mouth, darting his attention back to Daniel. "So, what? You're ascending?"

Daniel started, seeming to be genuinely surprised by the question. "I've thought about it."

"It's starting to get old."

"Well, think about it," Daniel said and licked his lips. "Think of what I could do if I could ascend on my own."

"I've seen you Ascended, Daniel. We already went through this." Jack sighed, rubbing away the tension in his head by massaging his eyebrows. "It doesn't work."

"But this time it would be different," Daniel said. "No Oma. No Others. I could do it on my own."

"But you're not."

"That's beside the point."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"Daniel, you had a Prior pop you one," Jack said, knowing he was starting to sound exasperated. "The result, whatever it is, isn't going to be pretty. What if they want you to ascend?"

Daniel frowned. "Why would they want that?"

Jack shrugged. If he had all the answers, his life would be so much easier. "I'm just saying whatever hand the Priors had in this, whether it backfired or not, isn't good for you."

Daniel didn't say anything. Jack knew that deep down, Daniel knew exactly what Jack was trying to say. And this time Jack was right, whether Daniel liked it or not.

"What's going to happen now?" Daniel finally asked.

"I have Fraiser working on finding a nishta cure. Carter is working on locating this so-called space station."

"You don't believe it exists?" Daniel asked.

"We got the info from the Tok'ra," Jack said. "I think that says it all."

He'd had an on the spot briefing concerning the Tok'ra's little visit while he'd been behind bars and Jack could honestly say it didn't instill him with a lot of hope. They got the plans from Ba'al. Anything from Ba'al had to be taken with a grain of salt.

"What about me?" he asked. "You can't expect to keep me in here the whole time."

"Sure I can."

"Jack…"

"Nope." Jack stood and slid the chair away from the gurney. "You've been lying to us, and you've been compromised. You'll be staying right here."

Whatever moment of peace Jack had enjoyed vanished as Daniel's anger and defiance returned. He pushed hard against the restraints, glaring at Jack. "You can't do that!"

Jack could do whatever he wanted. It's not like he wanted Daniel locked away, but he had to be careful. No matter what was going on with Daniel, the fact remained that his behavior was erratic. Plus, he had abilities or powers that he apparently couldn't control.

Letting Daniel roam around the SGC would be a mistake.

If Daniel could read his mind, let him see the rationality behind his actions. Daniel should know better by now. Jack turned around and started to head for the door.

"I wrote you a letter asking for the IOA to postpone their meeting," Daniel said quickly, his voice almost frantic.

Jack stopped and glared at him. "Trying to bribe me, now?" Jack knew people could hit all time lows when they were desperate but this…

"I gave it to Landry while you were imprisoned in holding. If I was hell bent on joining the Ori, why would I do that?" Daniel licked his lips, pressing his body as far as it would go under the restraints. "And if I could take on Teal'c, you know that I could easily break through these restraints."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me?"

"No. I'm just stating a fact and you know it." He paused. "At least let Mitchell and Jonas go. They have nothing to do with this. I think it's pretty clear what happened to me happened to me and me alone."

Jack considered what Daniel was saying. Based on all the evidence so far, he was inclined to agree with Daniel. They just had to take all the necessary precautions.

"Check with General Landry," Daniel said, his voice calm and peaceful. The anger had seemed to vanish. Jack had to admit this was the first time he had seen Daniel this relaxed since he'd dropped on base. "He'll verify what I've told you. The letter to Woosley at the IOA might be enough to push us back long enough to find the proof you need."

Jack nodded, moving back to the door. "I'll talk to Landry." He didn't think he'd ever have to say this to Daniel, not now. "But I still don't think you can be trusted," he said, making sure he kept his voice level.

He didn't know if Daniel could read through his face or pick up on his emotions. He didn't know if he even wanted Daniel to know the truth or how much it hurt. It wasn't any of his business anyway.

But Daniel didn't say anything about it. He just nodded, quiet, solemn, and detached. He said one last thing before Jack left.

"Can you afford not to?"

* * *

"It's Minoan." 

Sam grabbed the paperwork from Major Davis, evaluating the glyphs. They were nothing but lines and scratches to her. Skeptical, she turned to the epigrapher standing with Davis.

"Minoan?" she asked.

"Yes. Well, sort of." The woman – someone from Daniel's department – pointed to the markings. "It resembles Linear A. It's a script that has yet to be deciphered here on Earth. But it's widely believed to have been a form of writing used by Minoans and other proto-Greek peoples."

Sam knew she'd heard Daniel talk about Linear A. He'd been working in his spare time to try to crack the code, positing that it might have a connection to peculiar dialects of Goa'uld or be connected to another race, possibly the Furlings.

Whatever its origins, this information couldn't have come at a better time. Sam needed something to distract herself from all that was happening to Daniel, Janet, Cassie, Hammond and Barrett.

"That should narrow the search, right, Colonel?" Davis asked.

Sam smiled and held up the notepad. "Let's go find out."

* * *

"Teal'c? Teal'c?" 

Teal'c stayed motionless, watchful of the man who remained restrained in the isolation room below him. The man who was once Daniel Jackson.

He feared that O'Neill had grown soft with age and could not see such a threat that rested in their friend. He could not be trusted, not in his present form.

It was true that Teal'c had also grown soft. His affection for O'Neill, Colonel Carter, and Daniel Jackson had only grown over time, along with others of the Tau'ri. It was the same kind of affection he held for Bra'tac and his son. And the same feeling that was now growing for Colonel Mitchell.

"Teal'c?"

"He's calling you," Cassandra said, slipping into the seat next to him. "I think he wants to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to him."

"Oh please," she said, rolling her eyes. "And adults say teenagers are immature."

Teal'c frowned, turning to face the girl. He did not like the tone of her voice. "This has no bearing on my maturity."

Cassandra laughed at him. "Yeah, right."

Teal'c also did not like what she was implying. His decisions were made from careful thought and a warrior's intuition. This did not reflect on his pride.

"Come on, Teal'c," she said, punching his arm. "Haven't you ever done something that killed you inside but you did it for a good reason?"

"I have not." He rotated the chair so he no longer faced her.

"Liar," she said with a snort. Teal'c felt her roll her chair closer to him. "I bet you have. I bet you've done a lot of things you weren't proud of but you did it for people you loved."

"Should you not be in your room?" Teal'c said.

Cassandra laughed again. "Now you're trying to get rid of me!"

"I do not wish to have this conversation," Teal'c muttered, refusing to look at her.

"Suit yourself." Cassandra jumped to her feet and walked to the exit. "But you're just going to make yourself miserable."

Teal'c listened to her leave but kept his gaze focused on Daniel Jackson. His friend remained tied to the gurney, the guards by his side, and continued to call his name.

Teal'c could not reply. He could not speak with Daniel Jackson at this time. Therefore, he continued to sit and watch and said nothing more.

* * *

After calling Teal'c about twenty times without a response, Daniel took the hint that he was being ignored. He'd even tried to make eye contact with Teal'c, but it was a little difficult with the heavy restraint looped around his neck. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. 

He knew he could break out of here if he wanted. It wouldn't be hard. He knew the power to do it rested at his fingertips. He just didn't know _how_ to do it.

But the temptation was there. It covered him like a warm blanket, urging him to curl up in its embrace and just let go. The alternative was the pain and the burning, the cold fire that tore through his mind and left little pin pricks of heat all over his body. It was the burning he'd been fighting ever since his mind popped and opened into something greater.

The temptation of release was immense. The burning made him feel light and faint, but the temptation offered him peace. It whispered into his ears. _Do it_, it said. _Do it._

Daniel bit his lip, burying the temptation and all of its promises, feeling the burning return. He did his best to ignore it and spent the next few minutes reciting Phoenician poetry, before starting on inconsistencies in the inscription on the Phoenician king Ahiram's sarcophagus.

"…as for his posterity they shall be cut off by the sword." Daniel sighed before stealing a glance at his right wrist and the leather strap that bound it.

It wouldn't be that hard. Just a nudge. A small nudge. Daniel held his breath as he concentrated on the strap.

He thought he saw the strap begin to tremble. He thought he saw the metal rings rattle. He thought he felt the pressure lessen and the burning ebb. He knew he saw the guards watching him.

Daniel stopped and focused back on the ceiling and toyed with the idea of reciting Egyptian poetry, this time aloud. Instead, he balled his fists and slammed the gurney.

He was getting nothing accomplished in here. Teal'c wouldn't speak with him. Janet thought he was insane. Jack didn't trust him. He didn't know where Sam was. Jonas and Mitchell were locked away for no reason. Meanwhile, the Ori and the Priors were plotting away, preparing to destroy them all.

He needed to get out of here.

Daniel glanced over at the machine monitoring his brain functions. He could see the red and green blinking in and out, expanding and retracting. It made him think of a setting sun where light and shadow were in an ongoing battle for supremacy. Or – once, long ago – he would have associated the struggle with the Egyptian metaphor of Ra and Apophis.

The darkness always won. Until the next dawn.

He wondered why he thought of these things. He wondered if he really was losing his mind.

The one thing he did know was that right now, his choices were limited. He could either wait here indefinitely for everyone else to make up their minds about his future, or he could be proactive and do something. That something might not be what anyone else wanted, but it at least gave Daniel a chance to stop the Ori.

He was doing this on his own this time. He could do it.

Daniel breathed out, expelling as much air from his body as he could before he closed his eyes and let his mind drift. He felt an opening pushing past the block that he held firmly deep in his mind. The opening widened, spilling light and knowledge, teasing him with forgotten memories if he'd just push a little harder…

Somewhere in the distance he heard the monitor beeping. He heard shouting. He felt hands shaking him. But they were all so far away now. So far.

"The true nature of a man is decided in the battle between his conscious mind and the desires of the subconscious."

Daniel snapped his eyes open and felt the whoosh of sound and color smack him as he tried to orient himself around those words. Dumbstruck, he searched the room, dimly aware of the multiple hands holding him down.

"Shifu?" he asked.

_Oh God_. He smacked his head against the gurney and screwed his eyes shut. The burning had come back.

"The monitor went crazy," he heard one of the guards say.

"I believe he was attempting to ascend."

That was Teal'c. Teal'c was with him. Daniel struggled to get out of his grip.

"What the hell happened?" he heard Jack say. Daniel felt weight on his chest. "I leave for twenty minutes and everything goes to hell." There was another push to his chest. "Get that IV going again."

"No!" Daniel shouted, opening his eyes again. Jack was hovering above him along with Teal'c, but he didn't see Shifu. "Where is he?"

Jack hesitated, eyeing him like he was insane. "Who?"

Daniel pulled against the restraints, straining to catch sight of Shifu. He couldn't see him. He couldn't see anything as long as he was being held down.

"Hurry!" Jack shouted.

Daniel realized by now that he was hot, the sweat coating his entire body like a second skin. He gasped and caught a medic approaching from the corner of his eye.

"No," he said. "I don't want drugs. Water. Not drugs."

"Teal'c?"

"I have him restrained, O'Neill."

Jack and Teal'c weren't going to listen to him. He had to do this now. Daniel moaned, pushing back the burning. Pushing it deeper. If he could just let it go. He needed to open up again.

"Listen to the boy, good son."

Daniel went completely cold. This time he knew he wasn't just hearing things. Slowly, he turned his head, straining to see past Teal'c, shocked to find Kasuf, Skaara, and Shifu watching him. They were dressed so simply – just as he remembered – exerting a soft peacefulness that made Daniel envious.

Daniel finally found the courage to speak. "Good father," he whispered.

Kasuf smiled at him. "Yes."

"Shit," Jack muttered.

Daniel blinked and shot a surprised look to Jack. He could see them?

Jack reached over and smacked Teal'c's arm and pointed to the far corner of the room. "You can see them, right?"

"Indeed."

The tension in Jack's face lessened. He held up his hand to stop the medic from injecting the sedative into Daniel's IV. He also motioned for the two soldiers in the room to stay back. The guards seemed just as shocked as the rest of them.

"What's going on, Daniel?" Jack asked, his voice stern but his gaze centered on Skaara and the others.

"I have no idea," he mumbled.

He couldn't believe they were here with him. His family. Daniel felt the swelling of old pain as it attempting to bubble to the surface. If only Sha're…

"What in the end is to be thrown down," Shifu said. "Begins first by being set on high."

Daniel bit back the burning, shaking away the sweat that trickled down his nose as he tried to focus. "That-that means nothing to me," he said, frustrated.

"It is not for you," Kasuf said. "Not now."

"But perhaps another time," Skaara said.

"Oh for cryin' out loud, will you just give a straight answer?"

Daniel shook his head, wondering he if had been this much of a pain when he had visited his friends. He couldn't imagine Jack having the patience for this.

"Will you not be punished for revealing yourselves to us?" Teal'c asked.

Skaara shook his head. "The Others do not know we are here."

"Ah, more covert ops I take it," Jack said with a scowl.

"Our paths will cross again one day, though we travel different roads. Until then, stay strong, good son," Kasuf said, his voice far more gentle than Daniel remembered. "All of you."

"Be well, O'Neill," Skaara said.

Daniel started, realizing what was happening. "No. Wait!"

"The tree has many branches, but they have the same root," Shifu said softly. "Have good trust in yourself -- not in what you _believe_ you should be, but in what you _are_." Shifu smiled one last time before he blinked into a flash of light. Kasuf and Skaara remained for a moment longer before they too dissolved into the brilliant light and vanished.

They were gone. Just like that, they were gone.

Daniel still had no clue what the hell they were trying to tell him. But he understood the timing and the significance that it held.

After he exhaled softly, Daniel closed his eyes and refocused on the burning. He held onto it and pushed, just as he had since the burning had begun.

"Dammit. Daniel, listen to me. They showed up for a reason. You have to stop whatever you're doing."

Daniel nodded, but kept his eyes closed. "I know," he said.

He pushed back the burning, sending it to the corner of his mind where he'd kept it under lock and key before. It was becoming harder to fight it, but he knew that he had to keep it at bay. At least for now.

Daniel felt the pressure lessen on his hands. Frowning, he looked up to find Jack undoing the restraints that tied him to the gurney. Teal'c watched on reluctantly before he finally moved to assist Jack. When they were finished, Jack poured Daniel a glass of water and handed it to him.

Daniel sat and readily accepted the gesture, bringing the cool water to his parched lips. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and moved the glass away from his face. "Thanks, Jack," he managed to say.

Jack's face remained dark and unforgiving. He glared long enough for Daniel to understand he meant business.

"Stay put!" Jack yelled angrily, marching to the exit. Without looking back, he called back to Teal'c and the guards. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

* * *

Hank entered his office, shutting the door behind Jack. He shook his head. "Jack, I don't care. No." 

"Hank, I'm your superior, technically. The Asgard can beam down, take a peek, and if he's okay, then what's the problem?"

"The problem is his brain is on fire and he's a walking weapon," Landry said. He couldn't let a man compromised by the Priors walk around the base, escort or no escort. "I know how you feel about Daniel. We all do. But despite his good intentions with Fraiser and her daughter, I can't do it."

"Oh, pshaw," Jack said, waving his hand. "A little misunderstanding."

Hank just stared at him. The dumb act was not going to win any sympathy votes with him today. Especially not when just thirty minutes ago, he'd been ranting and raving on how dangerous Doctor Jackson could be.

Hank narrowed his eyes. "What's your real motivation here?"

Jack shrugged. "If you keep him out of the loop, he's going to get restless."

"Ah." Hank nodded. Now they were getting somewhere. He understood. "You're afraid he's going to ascend."

Jack didn't even try to deny it. "You got it."

Hank had to admit he wasn't thrilled with that prospect, either. He didn't know what Daniel would be capable of as an Ascended being unchained, and he wasn't too eager to find out. But one thing was certain. The temptation for Daniel to ascend would be greater the more frustrated he became.

"But there's more to it, isn't there?" Hank asked. "Is this a personal judgment call?"

"My feelings or lack of feelings on the subject aren't important," Jack said, his eyes dark. "The fact is that someone is trying to use Daniel for their own end. Now, whether it's the Ancients or the Ori is irrelevant. I don't like being a pawn in their game."

"I don't like it myself. But are you sure keeping Doctor Jackson in the loop is the best choice?"

"Hey, we just had three Ascended people visit when they aren't even supposed to do that," Jack said. "I see that as a sign to take action."

Hank wasn't overly thrilled with the prospect of aliens hanging around the base. He was less pleased with the prospect of an unstable Daniel joining those ranks. But he couldn't say he was completely sold on allowing him to roam the base.

Jack wasn't about to let his case go. "It's a tactical move. The longer we keep Daniel on our side, the better."

Hank highly doubted it came down to just tactics, but he also trusted Jack's judgment.

"All right," Hank agreed, hoping he didn't regret his decision. "But I want someone on him at all times."

"No problem," Jack said with a weak smile before he disappeared into the briefing room.

Hank sat back and sighed. He hoped Colonel Carter was having better luck with her investigations than he was.

* * *

Sam entered the new parameters into the database of the addresses they had listed in the system, including those they had blocked out for whatever reason, and narrowed them down to planets where they had no known allies. She sat back and watched the computer file through the Gate addresses, mindful of the time as it ticked by. 

Nothing.

"No!" she shouted at the computer. "You have to have it!"

"Maybe we missed something," Major Davis said. He rolled in a little closer to her, leaning over to look at the information the Tok'ra had given them. "Did you enter all the correct information?"

"Yes," she mumbled with a frustrated sigh. But just for argument's sake, she reentered everything. And waited. And waited.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

There had to be a match. There just had to be. Where the hell was the match?

"How goes the search?" she heard O'Neill ask from behind her.

She sighed again. "Not so good. I've managed to configure a program to search the database to isolate planets based on the parameters given by the Tok'ra without success."

"Could they have forgotten to tell us something important?" O'Neill asked.

"No, sir," she answered, trying hard to keep the resentment out of her voice. "The Tok'ra wouldn't intentionally leave out important information."

"Yeah." He didn't sound so convinced.

Sam slumped in her seat, thoroughly discouraged. She didn't know if it was the stress surrounding Daniel that was getting to her, or the incident with Janet and Cassie, or what happened to Teal'c. But at this point, she just wanted to take the damn computer system and chuck it through the Stargate.

"I don't get it," she mumbled. "I've tried every single planet outside our network of allies and—"

"Whoa, back up, Carter. What about our allies?"

She looked at him incredulously. "You want me to enter planets where we have allies onto the list?" Somehow, for Sam, it felt like a betrayal, as if they couldn't even trust their own allies.

"These are the Ori, Carter," O'Neill said, his face grim. "They have ways of convincing people."

She complied, but she wasn't happy about it. She opened up the entire database and started the scan. As she waited with Davis and O'Neill, she noticed General Landry walk down the steps from the upper level and make his way towards them.

"Just who I was looking for," Landry said, walking up to O'Neill. He handed him a sheet of paper. "Looks like your request for the IOA meeting to be postponed was granted."

"Huh," O'Neill said, working his jaw as he read the paper. He looked over to Landry. "What about Mitchell and Jonas?"

"I'm releasing them."

Sam watched the two of them, confused. "Sir?"

"I wanted Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn placed in holding as a precaution. But according to the medical staff, they are fine. I'm comfortable releasing them again," Landry said.

Sam breathed out, relieved from the news. She just wished the same could be done for Daniel.

"What are you going to do about Doctor Jackson?" Major Davis asked.

"General O'Neill and I have been discussing the matter." He didn't say anything more.

Sam found that strange, but didn't press the issue. Not now anyway. She turned back to the console when she realized the computer was beeping.

They had a hit.

Sam wheeled herself closer and typed at the keys, bringing up the planet in question. Her face fell. She chastised herself for denying that any of their closest allies could turn on them. It was the most obvious planet they'd ever visited and at the same time the most unlikely one at that.

"P3X-797?" Landry asked.

"Yes, sir," she said quietly. "The Land of Light."

* * *

"The Land of Light," Hank said, clasping his hands behind his back. He stared down at the Stargate from inside the briefing room. "That's the planet where the Touched incident occurred." 

"That's right, sir," Carter said.

"Some of our oldest allies," Davis added.

Hank nodded and then sighed, turning around to face the table. "What about the intel on the Land of Light?"

Jack stiffened, but didn't show he was troubled beyond that. "It's an exact match. We should investigate."

"Old allies of ours." Hank said, shaking his head. The Ori would stop at nothing to destroy them and convert the galaxy. All the events that had happened over the past couple of days were a testament to that fact.

"They're a highly impressionable people," Jack said.

Hank nodded. Unfortunately, that was just the perfect victim for the Ori. "Colonel Carter, I want you and Major Davis to head down to the infirmary and escort Doctor Jackson to the briefing room." When he received confirmation, he continued. "I'm sending Mitchell with Teal'c to Dakara to try to gather some backup in case this does pan out."

"It's going to be a tough sell," Jack said.

"I know." He smiled. "But it doesn't hurt to try."

* * *

Cameron followed Teal'c down the steps into the main hall of the Jaffa HQ on Dakara. No matter how many times he came here, he just couldn't get enough of the atmosphere. So stately. It made Cameron feel like he was walking into some old Roman movie. 

"You will remain outside the Council Chamber," Teal'c said, halting him with his hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I've learned my lesson," Cameron muttered. He crossed his arms and leaned on the doorway, watching as Teal'c entered the circle and stood in the middle. It seemed to Cameron that all these guys did was sit around and debate all day. No wonder they were always cranky.

The Jaffa exchanged their pleasantries and got on with it. Talk. Evil eye. Talk. Grunt. Talk some more. Cameron yawned and watched. He caught Bra'tac in there, a lady he'd seen before, and some other people.

And then they talked some more. And they talked. Cameron glanced down at his watch.

"And if we can join as one with the Tau'ri to defeat this enemy, we can create our nation together free from the tyrannies of those who would wish us otherwise."

Cameron fought the urge to clap. That was well done. Very well done.

"Yet, again, Teal'c, you wish us to go to war with an enemy that is not our own?" one of the Jaffa said.

When a bunch of others on the Council nodded and murmured in agreement, Cameron thought maybe this wasn't going so well. Not to mention they were all a bunch of stuffed shirts. Or stuffed robes. They'd lost Gerak to the Ori. How could they not be an enemy to the Jaffa? Cameron stopped leaning and stood a little straighter, keeping his eye on the debate.

"I believe it to be for all Jaffa, Roa'tac," Teal'c said.

"Yes, it is your belief and your belief alone," Roa'tac replied. "We will not be subjugated to Tau'ri ways and beliefs!"

"Teal'c does not wish this," Bra'tac said, standing.

"Your insight is always appreciated, Master Bra'tac," Ta'nauc said. "But allow for Teal'c to speak for himself."

Teal'c inclined his head to Ta'nauc, but also flashed Bra'tac an appreciative smile. _There went Teal'c working the crowd_, Cameron thought.

"Brothers, sisters, I implore you to judge not with your anger but with your hearts."

"This we have," Roa'tac said. "And it is with our hearts we know the Tau'ri only seek power over us."

"Now just you wait a damn minute," Cameron said, finally speaking. He ignored Teal'c's not so subtle eyebrow warnings and strolled into the middle of the circle. "Teal'c isn't some mouth spouting Tau'ri this and Tau'ri that. He's talking 'bout us – for us – because we thought we should use a more civilized approach to asking you."

Cameron smiled. He'd gotten Roa'tac's attention.

"The truth of the matter is we need your help. No, no. I know what you're thinking. The Tau'ri ask for help? It's got to be a trap, right?"

"Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c warned.

"No, no. Getting to the best part." He walked past Teal'c and smiled brightly at the Council. "Hi, nice to see you," he said. Cameron cleared his throat. "You see, we're not just here asking for help. We're begging for help. We need someone with your skill and knowledge to back us up. We thought Teal'c could get the point across with all his fancy speech, and hell, we're just too proud sometimes. So, we're here asking if you could give us a hand."

He waited for a reply – any kind of reply – but didn't get one. Not one. Not even from Teal'c himself. He'd be damned. He'd left the Jaffa speechless.

"You come to us with words of passion and honesty," Ka'lel finally said. "We appreciate this gesture."

Cameron preened. He sure did.

"However, before any action can be considered, we must vote," Ta'nauc said.

"Vote?" Cameron went to tell him how urgent this was but shut up when he saw the death stare from Teal'c.

"Okay, well. I guess I'll just be going over there, then." Cameron waved and started to back away, inching farther and farther from the circle and the Council altogether. "Just give us a holler when you're ready!"

Cameron breathed out and made his way back to the main hall that led to the Stargate. He noticed that there weren't many Jaffa hanging around this time of night or day. He could never really tell on Dakara. Finding a nice space on one of the pillars, he took a seat.

He had to say he thought he'd done pretty well. Cameron was sure he'd earned some respect from Teal'c. Or maybe just more aggravation. Either way, it was something.

He was surprised that Teal'c emerged two minutes after. Cameron rose, smiling, and went to greet him. "They decide all ready?"

"They did not. It will take hours for the Council to make the decision."

Cameron frowned. That wasn't the news he'd been waiting to hear.

"I have already cast my vote," Teal'c said. "I informed the Council that we would be returning to the SGC and awaiting their decision."

"So, it's kinda like a 'don't call us; we'll call you' kinda deal?" Cameron asked.

"Indeed."

Cameron sighed. He supposed to was better than nothing. "Well, can't say I didn't try," he mumbled as he and Teal'c made their way back to the Stargate.

* * *

"All right, it's good to see everyone's here," Jack said, studying the room and its occupants. Carter, Jonas, Davis, and his mini me were seated to his left, while Teal'c, Mitchell, and Daniel were seated to his right. Then he had Hank over by his side and…their other guests seated opposite him. 

"First of all, I'd like to thank Supreme Commander Thor for joining us today," Jack said, offering a friendly smile to the Asgard.

"Thank you, O'Neill. It is the pleasure of the Asgard to be present for such an occasion."

"You'd think we'd be talking about a marriage ceremony," Hank said under his breath.

Jack coughed, hoping to hide his own little chuckle over the comment. "We'd also like to thank Heimdall for dropping by today."

"Yes, thank you. I am interested in observing your human behavior," the Asgard chattered excitedly, reaching its hand out to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I would very much like to study the contents of your brain. The scans that we completed show the markings of incredible progress in synaptic activity."

"Oh, um. Thank you. But, uh, no…thank you." Daniel scooted a little closer to Mitchell.

Jack looked to Thor for a little reassurance Heimdall wasn't going to go Frankenstein on the SGC. The Asgard remained as impassive as usual.

"Hey!" Mitchell suddenly yelled, pointing to Heimdall. "Klepto-Asgard just took my pen!"

_Great,_ Jack thought. Just what he needed on top of everything else.

"I have no use for your Earth devices," Heimdall stated.

"Heimdall, you will return the pen to Colonel Mitchell. We are not present for scientific study," Thor said. Jack was positive he heard mild annoyance in his buddy's voice. Heimdall dropped the pen on the table, its blank face never betraying its true feelings. Thor continued. "Kvasir regrets that he was unable to convene on this occasion."

"Yeah, what a shame. Well, there's always next time," Jack said with a smile, much to the dismay of SG-1. "But let's start."

Jack brought everyone at the briefing up to speed on what was going on, just to make sure everyone, including the Asgard, were all on the same page. He'd called in a favor to Thor, asking the Asgard to do a little drive by the Land of Light on his way over. Unfortunately, he'd confirmed what they had feared – the Ori were building something in orbit on the dark side of the planet.

Jack glanced down at the plans the Tok'ra had provided along with the holographic snapshots taken by the Asgard. Obviously, they needed to take out this space station. With the _Odyssey _out of commission for some minor repairs, they had to take a different approach. He knew exactly what that would entail.

"You're considering sending a small task force," Carter said.

"Yup." Jack searched the plans again, trying to decide on the best strategy. Based on Thor's photos, the thing looked nearly complete. "I'm thinking we blow it up."

He heard someone mutter in disagreement and knew exactly who it had to be. Jack glared at Daniel.

"Have we tried contacting Tuplo?" Daniel asked. "Have we even tried to ask him what is going on?"

"They've been concealing a secret base, Doctor Jackson," Davis said.

"We don't know that," Daniel argued.

"It is irrelevant," Teal'c said without facing Daniel. "There is a weapon and it must be destroyed."

"They are allowing the Ori to build a space station near their planet," Jack said. The answer was obvious here.

"Well, I think Daniel has a point," Jonas said, jumping into the conversation. Jack fought hard not to roll his eyes. Of course he'd agree with Daniel. "Maybe we could avoid any kind of conflict if we just talked to them."

"I don't thinks so, Jonas," Carter said. "Tuplo's people have always been very honest with us. But we haven't heard from them in months. They never mentioned the Ori. Something must have happened."

Hank nodded. "They never contacted us like some of our other allies when a crisis hit."

"Tulpo _always_ calls when he needs something," said Jack's clone.

"And the Ori need cheap labor of some kind to pull it off," Mitchell added.

Daniel scowled and started to get edgy, as he so often did when people failed to see his point of view. "What if they've been coerced?" Daniel asked, trying a different line of reasoning. "They spent years dealing with the Touched. I know if I were them, I wouldn't want to go through that again."

"Yeah, tell me about it," the clone muttered.

"Yeah, it's possible," Jack said. It's not like they hadn't seen that sort of thing before. "But the fact remains that there's an enemy base close to our territory that needs to be eliminated. It's got to go."

No one could disagree with him over that point. Good. With that little bit settled, Jack knew they could get onto more important matters that needed to be addressed before the task force was assembled and ready to go.

"All right." He nodded to Hank and took a seat. "You're on."

"Here's the run down," Hank said. "Doctor Fraiser is currently working on trying to find a cure for the OC-17 drug created at Area 51, otherwise known to most of you as nishta. And as I'm sure all of you have heard by now, General Hammond has been infected by the substance. He's recuperating from a gunshot wound in the infirmary, but isn't out of the woods yet. We need that cure."

Jack picked at the edge of the table, not wanting to dwell on what happened to his former commanding officer. The whole mess with Hammond and the nishta rattled him. Jack swore if he ever got near Ba'al again…

He glanced over at his clone who appeared just as irritable. Finally, someone who understood him. They both knew Ba'al had a hand in this somehow. But how the hell had he gotten to Hammond? Jack knew that if someone could get to Hammond, then they could get to anyone. But there had to have been a certain set of circumstances that led to Hammond being infected instead of someone like Davis or himself. Jack just couldn't figure out what.

"Jack, Mister Quinn," Hank said, continuing, as he directed his attention to the clone and Jonas, "In light of what has happened to Agent Barrett, I want you to continue working on his investigation. "Jack," Hank said motioning to him, but addressing Jonas, "tells me that you have some impressive reading skills and has vouched for your help in this matter."

"Thank you," Jonas said, sounding genuinely surprised.

Hank nodded. "Get to the bottom of who is behind this." He turned to Davis. "Major, I need for you to check in with Colonel Dixon and see how our guests are doing."

"Of course, sir," he answered.

Jack tapped his pen on the table. So far, so good. Now came the hard part.

"As for the rest of you – our Asgard guests excepted – we'll be heading through the Gate onto P3X-797 to establish a standard recon," Jack told them. "We'll get on the space station and then eliminate the target.

"You will be accompanying us, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

"You betcha," he said with a smirk. "It'll be just like old times."

"Booyah!" Mitchell shouted, clapping his hands. When no one joined him, he slowly stopped and pretended to do something else.

Jack smiled nonetheless.

"All right, what are you waiting for?" Hank said, standing. "Let's get a move on."

SG-1, along with Jack's clone, Jonas, and Major Davis stood and started to go their separate ways. Thor, Heimdall, and the pen beamed out immediately thereafter. Jack remained behind with Hank, keeping his mouth shut until he was sure that SG-1 was out of earshot.

"Everything set with Sara and her parents?" he asked.

"They're all set up in case something happens," Hank said quietly.

"Good." He watched as SG-1 disappeared through the door. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The planet was dark, dirty, and full of trees, just like he'd remembered. This was one of the parts of Gate travel that he didn't miss.

Jack and SG-1 kept a steady but guarded pace as they moved through the thickly forested area on the dark side of the planet. While the terrain was familiar, Jack had anything but good memories of this place. The Touched, the attack, and the idea that something like a parasite could change a man so completely – they were thoughts that had weighed down on SG-1 as they were just getting their feet wet, traveling to distant worlds through the Stargate.

He remembered those first days, when everything was new and scary and exciting all at the same time. Carter had been so eager and spunky. Daniel had been passionate and hopeful. Teal'c had been the fish out of water. And Hammond had held them all together.

Despite it all, Jack had to say he missed those days.

Even though they were tough times – times where the Goa'uld were still foreign and nasty creatures that the SGC didn't know how to handle – those days still were forever etched in Jack's mind. The Goa'uld had more than just a stronghold in the galaxy; they had kept the SGC on constant alert and in constant fear.

Damn, they had been so naïve back then.

My, how complacent they'd grown.

Jack signaled for SG-1 to hold their positions behind him and by his side as he crouched in the bushes for a better view. There was a clearing just up ahead filled with people mulling back and forth from some central area.

Jack recognized some of the people from Tuplo's village. It looked like they were loading up cases – large cases – of stuff into a circle. That pattern looked familiar.

He watched quietly as the rings hurled themselves upward, covering the cases while the familiar white light flashed to take the cargo away. When the rings came tumbling back down and disappeared into the ground, Jack noticed the workers begin again. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that they had a major problem on their hands.

After he felt he'd seen enough, Jack signaled for SG-1 to backtrack deeper into the woods. They complied, carefully, joining Jack far from the activity.

"Our best bet onto that station is by the rings," Jack told them. He patted his vest to make sure he'd brought those antihistamines with him just in case.

"You want us to climb into one of those mini outhouses?" Mitchell asked.

Jack wouldn't have put it _that _way but…"Close," he said.

"You want to hide behind them," Carter said, understanding.

"Still have our element of surprise without getting trapped _in_ the box," Jack explained. "I'm guessing they have people up there moving the supplies as soon as they're brought on board."

Jack didn't really have to go into details. They all knew they'd be dead quick if they got stuck in some box, and that was when the enemy decided to attack. Jack wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"We will need a distraction," Teal'c said.

Jack knew they would. He had to say he wasn't at all pleased with their options.

"I can do it," Daniel offered.

That was the option that Jack was the least pleased with at the moment. He still didn't know just what Daniel could do with those supposed powers of his. And Jack knew Daniel didn't either. The worst part was that he didn't think Daniel could even control them.

But the Asgard had given Jack the all clear on Daniel, assuring him that based on their findings they didn't foresee him going mass murderer on any of them. Still, just the thought gave Jack the willies. Apparently, he wasn't the only one, Jack realized, as he saw the uneasiness in the rest of his team.

Daniel picked up on it as well. "Nothing major. Trust me. It'll be okay. Just tell me when."

Jack nodded, though reluctantly. He figured it was their best shot, like it or not. He checked his P-90 and the C-4 he'd packed with him before he signaled them to move again. Jack and SG-1 closed in on the clearing, keeping careful note of any sentinels that guarded the area. Jack nodded again, this time his confirmation to Daniel.

Daniel exhaled and closed his eyes. At first, nothing happened, and Jack started to get annoyed, but when he was just about to call Daniel a fraud, he started to notice the land was getting darker than usual.

"Daniel…"

Daniel didn't answer him. Though, by then, he didn't need to say a word. Daniel didn't seem to be with them anymore. His eyes were open – distant and intense, his face damp and pale – as he stared into the sky. Jack followed his gaze and swore, watching the sky cloud over, not unlike it had on Kheb, building and rumbling as it reached a climatic event.

The lightning strikes came hard and quick, flashing off in the distance, setting some of the trees on fire. The workers started to scream and scatter, running away from the boxes and the rings. Some bolted deep into the forest or headed toward the direction of the light half of the planet, while others started toward the fire. Even the sentries paled and fled, leaving the rings completely unprotected.

These people just weren't startled. They were terrified.

They weren't the only ones. Jack wasn't exactly comfortable with Daniel's little distraction, nor were the rest of SG-1. He didn't miss the uneasy glances that they kept sending Daniel or the shock in their eyes. All it took was for Daniel to snap and suddenly those powers weren't on their side anymore.

But what he saw in the villagers went beyond terror or the guarded caution of SG-1. It ran much deeper.

Slowly, Jack brought his gaze back to the sky. And then he knew why. He stared at the clouds as they formed the shape of a bull's head.

"Holy Hannah," he heard Carter say.

"I second that one," Mitchell muttered, his eyes wide.

Jack seized the opportunity. With the coast clear, he urged SG-1 to make a break for the ring platform. He hung back with Daniel, waiting for him to wrap up his light show. When he didn't, Jack reached over and shook Daniel, hoping to break him out of whatever trance held him.

Nothing. Of course not.

"Daniel," he said again, this time pushing him. Daniel's eyelids fluttered and blinked rapidly, almost as if he were trying to chase dust out of his eyes. He turned to Jack, slightly confused, a thin sheet of sweat dampening his face. "Welcome back," Jack said.

Daniel nodded, though Jack had the distinct impression Daniel didn't have a clue what he was talking about right now. Wonderful.

"Nice job on being subtle, Daniel," Jack muttered, pushing Daniel toward the rings. "So how does it feel playing God?"

Daniel didn't say anything and looked away.

Jack and Daniel joined with the rest of SG-1. Mitchell, Carter, and Teal'c all eyed Daniel with suspicion and caution, but Jack remedied the situation by barking some orders to get them back on track. They grabbed some of the boxes and dragged them toward the rings, quickly squeezing between them as they activated the platform. With a swish and a flash, Jack and SG-1 found themselves standing in the middle of a large cargo room.

The workers on board were completely taken by surprise. They reached for their spears, but Jack and Teal'c were faster. One zat and they were down.

"Let's tie them up and ring them down to the surface," Jack said. "We'll gag them and put them in the cases."

Mitchell and Teal'c took a couple of sentries while Carter and Daniel took another. Jack kept lookout by the entryway.

"How did you know that would scare them?" Carter asked Daniel as she helped him tie one of the men.

"When we came back after the Touched incident, I had a long talk with Milosha," Daniel explained. He and Carter dragged the man to one of the cases and set it on the ring platform. "We talked a lot about Minoan folklore and mythology. Like the Norse, they took signs of weather as an indicator the gods were angry or were trying to send them an omen. For the Minoans, their religious figures often were centered on the bull. You know that the bull had a special status among the Minoans on Earth."

"Yeah, yeah. Fascinating." Jack urged him to hurry up and get moving. Not that he minded Daniel _being_ Daniel. In fact, it was a bit of a relief. But this was neither the time nor the place. "We'll take the history lesson later."

Daniel got the point and kept quiet while they finished their task. Jack kept watch. The area seemed surprisingly empty, leading him to believe this wasn't going to be as easy as it looked. He remembered the rats.

"Wow, place looks big," Mitchell said.

"Indeed. This will take us some time to travel."

Jack agreed. The part of the station that was visible to them seemed large and expansive, bright and almost medically stale and sanitized. Jack thought it made the SGC look like it had personality.

He glanced to his right and thought he saw the beginnings of one of the hangars on this thing and when he glanced to the left he saw various doors and compartments. Additional storage areas, he would wager. Jack sighed. Damn. They could get lost easy in this place.

"We have the plans, right?" He looked over at Carter.

"Yes, sir. There are two ways to the core." She pointed to the printout she had brought with her. "Both upper and lower levels."

Jack knew they had to cover the station as quickly as possible. They couldn't remain undetected for long. "All right, Mitchell, Teal'c, and Daniel take the upper route." He walked out of the cargo hold and into one of the main hallways. It was clear. "Carter, you're with me."

Jack caught the momentary shock that flickered across Teal'c's face before it was buried under his cool warrior exterior. Jack sighed. He wasn't about to get into that right now.

"I want radio silence unless you find something," he called over his shoulder. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Mitchell said as he took his party in the opposite direction.

"Sir, are you sure it's a good idea to put Daniel and Teal'c together?" Carter asked, as they started down one of the circular ramps that headed downward.

"Probably not," Jack admitted. "But I need Teal'c there in case Daniel does lose it." Teal'c would keep perspective. Jack knew he would.

"He couldn't handle him earlier," Carter reminded him.

"I know. But I'm not expecting a problem. Just a precaution." He smiled and clapped his hand on Carter's shoulder. "Don't be so negative."

She grimaced and nodded, looking down at her printout. "It's just this way."

"Then it's off to see the Wizard."

* * *

Hank waited in the control room, standing by Walter's side, his eyes focused on the iris and the shimmering glow that wavered behind it. "This is General Landry," he said. 

"General, I am Roa'tac, member of the Jaffa High Council."

"We're honored to speak with you, Roa'tac. I expect you have an answer for us regarding our request?"

"That I do." There was a long pause. "It is my regret that the Jaffa will not be able to assist the Tau'ri at this time."

"I see," Hank said, not that he had been expecting anything different. "Is there anything that we can do to change your mind?"

"I am afraid there is not. We of the Jaffa Nation wish you well in your endeavors."

"Thank you, Roa'tac," Hank said, ending the transmission. "For nothing."

"Sir?" Walter asked, gazing up at him.

"It looks like SG-1 is on their own this time, Chief."

* * *

Teal'c led the way down the latest winding corridor with Daniel and Mitchell following close behind. Daniel didn't miss the gap between them; it didn't take a genius to figure out that Teal'c was avoiding him at all costs. 

"I think Teal'c is still mad at me," Daniel said offhandedly, tucking their makeshift map under his arm as he watched Teal'c continue on his way.

"Well, you socked him on the head," Mitchell said. "What did you expect?"

"I expect him to understand," Daniel said. "I did what I did because I had to."

Daniel couldn't understand why everyone was giving him such a hard time about this. When Jack had told everyone what Daniel had done – except Janet of course – they hadn't been happy, but at least they had understood why he'd done it. At least he thought they had.

"Did you say you were sorry?"

Daniel blinked at Mitchell. "Sorry for what?"

"Well, there you go," Mitchell said, shaking his head.

Daniel frowned and kept walking. The hallway reminded him of photos Doctor Weir had sent him from Atlantis. Everything seemed so clean and pristine. But it was different somehow, he mused, catching his reflection ripple over the gleaming metallic walls. Colder, more distant. Yet, at the same time it still held the concealed allure of the palace he'd visited on the Plains of Celestis.

Daniel wiped at his forehead with his sleeve as he continued to follow Teal'c and remained on the lookout for any strange activity. So far, it was quiet, much like the empty halls of the Ori Palace.

He wondered about Vala.

"You feeling okay?" Mitchell asked him.

Daniel nodded. "Just a little hot."

Seeing Kasuf, Shifu, and Skaara had only complicated things. Daniel had been so sure of himself – what he had done for Janet had been right and to ascend on his own would give them the advantage they could use right now.

Why would they want to stop him? Daniel didn't see any merit in Jack's claim that the Ori would want him to shed his mortal body. In fact, it seemed illogical to Daniel.

There was so much he didn't know and so much he couldn't remember. He sighed. And now he could feel the burning starting again. Concentrating hard, he urged it back, pushing it down deep inside.

He didn't know what they meant. He had no idea why they had to be so cryptic about everything, especially with him. He felt as if maybe he was on the brink of understanding something important and even possibly understanding what had happened to him in the first place.

Had they been giving him a warning? Was it possible that those Ascended experienced space and time in a non-linear fashion? But he wondered how they existed, if their knowledge came over time alone or if there was more to it. He couldn't help but wonder what that meant for him. Orlin, even as a child, could not hold the kind of knowledge the Ancients and the Ascended possessed.

"Earth to Jackson…"

Daniel blinked and rubbed his forehead again, shooting a subtle glare at Mitchell. Daniel was paying attention.

In fact, from the corner of his eye, Daniel caught Teal'c watching them. Taking that as his cue, Daniel brushed by Mitchell and moved to join Teal'c. He still would not make eye contact with him.

"You understand why I did what I did, right?" Daniel asked.

"I do."

"Okay, so…"

"You acted in order to bring back the Doctor Fraiser that we have long missed," Teal'c said, remaining focused ahead. "For that, I am grateful."

Daniel sighed with frustration. "Then, what's the problem?"

"You have been given a great power, Daniel Jackson. Yet, you use it against those whom you would call friends. To wield such a power, no matter how pure of heart you may be, is a dangerous thing."

Daniel had already gone through this with Shifu a lifetime ago. Goa'uld genetic memory and the knowledge they possessed could turn anyone, no matter how good, to evil. But Daniel wasn't carrying the knowledge of the Goa'uld. He couldn't even tap into whatever memories he had left from his time Ascended.

"This is different," Daniel said. "I'm not trying to say the end justifies the means."

"Then, how do you explain what you have done?"

He couldn't. Daniel realized he really couldn't come about this in any way besides a Machiavellian explanation. He stopped, frowned, and thought hard on what Teal'c had said, even long after Mitchell caught up with him and nudged him to continue through the station.

* * *

Sam remained alert as she studied the long winding hallways of the Ori space station. The structure and architecture were vastly different from anything she had seen created or scavenged by the Goa'uld. The hallways were wide and bright, curved and sinuous, with an airy quality to them. The core, aptly named, supposedly rested in the center, with theoretical ramps leading down from the upper levels and up from the lower levels into the main chamber. It all reminded her of a spiral, continuing in a never-ending pattern. Sam wondered if the design was a conscious break from the history the Ori shared with the Ancients. 

She walked alongside General O'Neill, who had remained quiet all this time, watchful and cautious, as they roamed the hallways. The silence was beginning to bother her.

"There doesn't seem to be many people on board," she said.

"Daniel said something about most people sleeping at this time," O'Neill said. "Hopefully, that means we can do this and get out of here before too many people take notice."

Sam couldn't agree more. Still, the silence and emptiness of the space station bothered her more than the crowded halls of a Goa'uld mothership.

She realized her nerves might be dependent on all that had happened over the past couple of days. Janet's return, Barrett and Hammond, Daniel's state – everything seemed to have come to a head at once. She had almost forgotten just how quickly things could change and how easily people could be taken away.

The Ori meant business. They had planned on hitting Daniel. They had plotted the scenario on Kelowna and then on the planet where they had kept Janet. Yet, all of it served as nothing but a distraction. Kelowna had been the diversion the Ori needed with the added option of containing Daniel on the side. The SGC almost missed this opportunity.

She thought about the people on Tegalus and how they had embraced the Ori. She thought of the Land of Light. She thought of all the other allies they had and how one by one they could be lost to the Ori.

A decade of hard work, of making friends and allies and defeating the Goa'uld, freeing the Jaffa, and they were going to lose it all.

"Why did you do it?" Sam asked quietly.

"Do what?"

"Leave."

Jack didn't say anything. He just kept walking alongside of her.

She didn't know if it was because she'd asked to be reassigned. She didn't know if it was because Daniel wanted to go to Atlantis. She didn't know if it was because Teal'c had left the SGC to be with the Jaffa. She didn't know anything, and it infuriated her.

"Why did you leave?" she asked again.

"I was promoted," he answered this time.

"But that's not the reason why you left."

"No," he said simply.

She sighed, feeling her face flush with the heat of indignation. She never could get a straight answer out of him. Never.

"What about Mitchell?" she asked.

"What about him?"

"Sir, you assigned him to a team that didn't exist anymore."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I did."

Sam yanked at her P-90, needing to funnel her frustration somewhere. She and Daniel had spent weeks trying to come up with some kind of psychological profile on General O'Neill to figure out his intentions with the SGC. He'd left, but then he kept harassing them by phone, email, and fax. He'd assigned General Landry with his estranged daughter. He'd stuck Cameron on a team that wasn't even a team, leaving him far in over his head with SG-1. He'd sold his house, but always complained that his old teammates were ungrateful for never visiting him. She just didn't understand him sometimes.

"Carter," he said, finally turning his head to face her. "There's such a thing as second chances."

She frowned. What the hell did this have to do with second chances?

When he finally realized that she was glaring at him, he shrugged. "You know, second chances. Things happen. People change. Time to put things in perspective or something. I read it on a fortune cookie."

Sam stared at him, watching the sincerity in his eyes outshine his smug grin.

"Everyone deserves one, wouldn't you say?" he asked.

Then, she found herself smiling, as if the pieces were finally starting to come together. "Yes, sir. Yes, they do."

* * *

Janet read the results from the latest test she had performed before throwing them down on the table. Nothing they did seemed to counter the nishta. 

Lee had since discovered that the vial that Sam had brought back with her from Area 51 contained an isolated part of the nishta organism. In particular, it was a sample of the dead parasite found in one of the tissue samples from SG-1.

She knew that in and of itself was significant somehow. But it had been so long since she'd worked in a lab. She hated to admit her thoughts weren't as functional as they used to be.

She rubbed her eyes and sighed. Since they'd discovered General Hammond was infected, she had ordered tissue samples taken from him so that she could study the newly created form more closely. Not only was the drug influential, but addictive. Which meant the infected had to keep injecting or inhaling the substance.

They searched General Hammond's belongings and confirmed this was the case. He had several vials of the new formula, enough for himself and apparently to infect several people on the base. Luckily, his main priority had been to extract a Joseph Owens and prevent any trace back to his involvement. Janet assumed his next step would be to start infecting other personnel, possibly base guards and Generals Landry and O'Neill.

The thought was truly frightening, bringing back memories of the times when Hathor and the mimic aliens had taken over the SGC. Janet couldn't stand the idea of that happening again.

She tried not to think of the Ori or the Priors.

She returned her attention to the disks and vials in front of her. "Okay," she said aloud, ignoring that guards that kept watch over her. "The answer has to be here."

Janet wanted to avoid having to give Hammond another shot of the nishta. If it was addictive, Hammond would likely start to feel withdrawal symptoms soon. At this time, none of them knew how severe the withdrawal might be. Janet realized that everything Sam and Barrett were told about the absolute nature of the compound could be false. But they could also have a situation like the light addiction that SG-1 and SG-5 had experienced a few years ago. Janet wanted to make sure a new injection would be an absolute last resort.

She wished she could just call upon a Prior to heal him. They could have Hammond back and she could convince her friends the Priors couldn't be as bad as they thought.

But she knew it wouldn't happen and wishful thinking wouldn't get her anywhere.

With a sigh, Janet reached for the paperwork that had been sent from Area 51 and went about the task of trying to search for patterns in the data, Hammond's tissues samples, and the vial brought by Sam and Barrett.

There had to be an answer. There just had to be.

They knew that a substantial electric pulse could weaken nishta, but in its current constitution they were stuck. If only they could…

Janet stopped and stared at the vial. She had an idea. She didn't know if it would work, but it was a start.

* * *

When they walked into the next chamber, Cameron just had one thing to say. 

"Yowzers."

The core consisted of a huge crystal matrix that made the Fortress of Solitude look like a playground. There were crystals of all shapes, sizes, and colors weaving in and out of each other. Cameron noticed there were several wide catwalks that starburst out from the central crystal matrix and connected to the circular periphery. He didn't really want to take a look at what was down below.

"There must be massive stores of energy here," Jackson said in awe.

"Bet Sam would like it," Cameron mumbled, feeling the same kind of awe and wonderment he saw in Jackson's and Teal'c's faces. He joined the two of them as they started to walk around the outside edge.

"I do," Sam said, walking into the chamber from the opposite side. "This is amazing," she said excitedly. Her eyes lit up as she started for one of the many catwalks. "The crystals must act as a magnification device, amplifying the stored energy to exponential levels!"

"That's great, Carter, but—" O'Neill stopped and looked ahead. "Whoa…" His voice trailed off as he looked up at the massive crystal thingamajig.

"It's a shame we have to blow it up," Jackson said.

Cameron wasn't so sure about that part. Hell, he wasn't sure they could blow it up. He tilted his head and looked at it sideways. Damn.

"I wonder where they keep their spares?' Sam asked, still gazing at the crystals.

"Found them," Jackson announced.

Cameron followed Jackson's gaze past the matrix and into the pit below, finally mustering the nerve to take a look down. Crystals. Crystals everywhere. Very sharp, pointed crystals. He inched away from the edge. "Right." Cameron didn't feel like taking a closer look. "No one trip or it ain't gonna be pretty."

He found Jackson back away from the edge and turn his attention to the matrix. He took off his glasses and wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket before sliding them back over his nose. "Are we sure this is going to work?"

"It'll work," O'Neill assured them.

"Then we must set the C-4 and depart quickly," Teal'c said, reminding them of their mission. "We are quite the distance away from the ring platform."

Piece of cake, Cameron wanted to say. He'd been traveling with the pros for a year now. SG-1 always got out of a jam. No sweat.

But he couldn't help wonder why they all looked so nervous.

"Teal'c's right," O'Neill finally said. "Let's get moving." He started to unpack the C-4 and motioned for the rest of them to do the same. "Let's get this loaded so we can get out of here."

They worked quickly, slapping and setting the C-4 into place on various sides on the crystal matrix, just in case some of the others were duds. Cameron kept a watchful eye on how much they used – O'Neill had reminded them to keep some C-4 at hand so they could blow the ring room when they got back.

"Carter, you said this thing stores and magnifies energy," O'Neill said. He moved away from the matrix and started back down the catwalk. "Any chance when this blows, it'll take a chunk of the galaxy with it?"

"I don't believe so, sir. The crystals may amplify the energy output, but they don't act in the same way that naquadah does."

He nodded. "All right. How are we doing?"

"All set," Jackson called.

"As am I," Teal'c said.

Cameron nodded, taking a step back to admire his handiwork. "Same here."

"Done," Sam said. She left the matrix and came to join the rest of them. "I've set it for forty minutes. That should give us plenty of time to leave."

"Good." O'Neill glanced down at his watch. "We are so out of here. Let's go."

Cameron followed the four of them out of the matrix room, backtracking down the path that he, Jackson, and Teal'c had taken before. He jogged up the ramp, barely resisting the urge to shout over their victory, and hurried after Teal'c. They'd blow this joint, ring down, Gate out, and be the damn fine heroes that they were. Fantastic.

"I am going to fix you up my specialty," Cameron said with a grin. "Some of _the_ best home cooking you ever did taste."

He chuckled to himself, musing over how good they were all going to feel once they'd stuffed their faces. But he seemed to be the only one laughing. Confused, Cameron rounded the corner and spilled into the hallway, nearly crashing into the rest of SG-1…and the individual blocking their way.

"Welcome," the Prior said. "The day of judgment has come."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Carolyn had just finished redressing General Hammond's wounds when she noticed Doctor Warner approaching. She turned toward him.

"Agent Barrett is in recovery," he told her. "But he's not out of the woods, yet."

Carolyn nodded. She'd figured as much. With a shot to the abdomen, he was going to have a long recovery ahead of him.

"Get some rest," Carolyn said. "Barrett is being monitored. We'll page you in case of an emergency."

Warner complied, giving Hammond a concerned once over before walking out of the infirmary. Carolyn supposed she couldn't blame him for being reluctant to leave. Not only was he invested in his patient, but also the welfare of his one time boss.

It was a shame what happened to Hammond and also a little scary. This could have happened to anyone, even her father. While she wasn't happy with some of the decisions he had made over the course of his life, she couldn't imagine her father losing himself like that.

She let out a long sigh as she stared at Hammond. She'd determined that there were some abnormalities in his brain chemistry likely caused by the addictive nature of the drug. They seemed to be worsening, only exacerbated by General O'Neill's trigger-happy clone. Right now, Hammond's prospects didn't look good. It left Carolyn angry. She was handling damage control.

She had started to move away from Hammond when Fraiser rushed into the infirmary with her guards. "Doctor Fraiser," she said. "This is a surprise." Carolyn's gaze fell to the small case in the other woman's hands. "A big surprise."

"It's not what you think," Fraiser explained. "I believe I have made a breakthrough." Carolyn remained skeptical; Fraiser shook her head. "Hear me out. The scientists at Area 51 had managed to isolate the part of the nishta organism that secreted its relaxing compounds and built a chemical drug based on it."

"Yes, we know that," Carolyn said, crossing her arms.

"And," Fraiser said, looking as if she would burst at the seams from her own excitement, "they have been unsuccessful in creating an electrical charge strong yet safe enough to use on infected individuals. "

"Yes, we know that, too."

"Since the drug only lasts several hours and has an addictive quality, the victim would need regular doses for it to be effective."

Carolyn glared at her. "What's your point?"

"What if we took steps to ensure that we could safely run an electric current through the victim?" Fraiser's eyes twinkled.

Carolyn blinked. Of course. "You've used the dead organism in the vial along with an electric charge to create a less potent form of the drug."

"Exactly," Janet said proudly. She held up the case. "This is a watered-down version of the nishta compound. We can keep creating more and more, until the victim's body isn't dependant on the drug anymore. Then, we can send a nonfatal charge through him."

Carolyn nodded, sharing her enthusiasm. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's try it."

* * *

Jonas placed the last file down and sat back. Jack gave him that look that Jonas read as _I can't believe you've gone through every single one already_. Feeling a little insecure, Jonas shifted in his seat and sat a little straighter. 

Jack crossed his arms and glared at him. "So?" he asked. "Any theories?"

Jonas was a little dry on Earth and Goa'uld conspiracy theories, but he felt confident that he was onto something. "I think you and the other you are right," Jonas said. "I think it's Ba'al."

"Great," Jack said, clapping his hands. "So, show me the money."

"Show you the money?" he asked, puzzled.

Jack shook his head. "Nevermind. What did you find?"

"Well, now that we know it's General Hammond, I went looking through all of Agent Barrett's information regarding the general." He grabbed a couple of files and put them in front of Jack. "See? Here?" He pointed. "It looks like over the past few months General Hammond has had several meetings with Chinese officials."

"So? Hammond does that all the time. He acts as a liaison and consultant to the President."

"Right, but his involvement with the Chinese has jumped over the past few months. And according to these," Jonas opened another file, "General Hammond wasn't just meeting with Chinese government officials. He was meeting with Chinese businessmen."

Jack raised his eyebrows. Jonas felt like he'd scored a victory. "What companies?" Jack asked.

"Tri-key Limited. Formerly know as Hammel Technologies."

"Bingo," Jack said, standing. He grabbed the files. "Let's get to Landry. He's going to love this."

* * *

"That bastard," Hank muttered, staring at the files Jack and Jonas had given him. He laid them out on his desk. "So, it was Ba'al." 

"He had to be working both sides," Jack said.

"He's been manipulating his way through multinational corporations," Hank said. Something that had started off here could easily be spreading across the globe. Ba'al must have figured that if he could take Chinese businessmen – his own men – and pressure the Chinese government against the treaty, he'd make out fine. But if the United States could convince the other nations to take unilateral action against the Ori, he'd still win. Hank narrowed his eyes, suddenly understanding. "He knows the Chinese want their own Stargate Program."

"And he'll do anything to get his grubby little hands in it," Jack muttered.

"Not to mention trying to get into the United States government and infiltrate the SGC," Jonas added.

"And he needed the nishta to carry it off seamlessly." Hank sighed. "I'll be damned." He shook his head. "Good work."

Jack rolled back his shoulders, his patented smug smile returning. "Any time, sir."

Hank brought his attention back to the files. There was no telling who Ba'al had gotten to within the Chinese administration or how deeply he'd embedded himself in Chinese business. "Why don't you get down to the commissary and get something to eat," Hank said as he picked up the phone. "I have some calls to make."

* * *

Janet stood beside Lam, watching as she added the drug into a new tissue sample from General Hammond. She placed the tray under a microscope and pressed her eye to the lens. 

"It's going to take a while for us to notice any difference," Lam said, moving away from the microscope to record the results. "And this won't even give us a true reading. We need to know if this will affect all of the tissues in General Hammond's body."

"The only way to do that is to test it on General Hammond," Janet said grimly.

"I know," Lam said. They both looked over to Hammond.

He wasn't doing well. Janet could tell by his pasty complexion and his fluctuating vitals. She knew that they could take the chance and go for it now. And if they waited too long, they might not have a chance at all.

"General Hammond always told me that he wouldn't want to live his life as a puppet, whether it were to the Goa'uld or any other alien species," Janet said.

_Or the Ori_, the voice inside her head whispered.

She ignored it. "I know he wouldn't want to live this way."

Lam nodded, appearing torn. She glanced back at the microscope.

Janet knew what she must be thinking. The timing was critical. If they waited too long to administer the drug, then Hammond might be too far-gone to save him. If they injected the weakened drug into him too soon, the remaining drug in his system might render the new form ineffective. Janet knew that they always had the choice to reinfect him with the original drug, but there was a part of her that couldn't bring herself to do it.

She wanted General Hammond back. She wanted to see the man she'd respected all these years.

She wondered if her friends felt the same way about her.

Janet stiffened, watching his pressure drop. "If we're going to do this, it's now or never."

Lam hesitated, but only for a second. She grabbed the experimental drug and loaded it into the syringe, hurrying to Hammond's side. Quickly, she injected the drug into the IV. She stepped back, and the two of them watched for any changes.

All they could do now was wait.

* * *

"These are strong allegations, General Landry." 

Hank knew they were. "I wouldn't be making them if I wasn't serious, Colonel Chekov."

There was a pause from the other end of the line. "How do I know it is not you who have been compromised and wish to divert attention from America by blaming China?"

Hank covered the receiver and sighed. He couldn't stand dealing with the Russians sometimes. Almost as much as Jack. "You have the proof right in front of you," Hank said, returning to the conversation. "Those are faxed copies of our investigation."

"I cannot believe General Hammond would betray his people."

"Not willingly," Hank admitted.

There was another long pause, one which made Hank uncomfortable. "Perhaps, then, the time has come where the United States should no longer have full control over the Stargate," Chekov finally said.

_Now, didn't that sound familiar_, Hank thought. Doctor Jackson had told him about his conversation with the Chinese ambassador. Hank could say he didn't like it one bit.

"I don't need to remind you of your own problems," Hank said.

"Of course not, General," Chekov said, his tone changing ever so slightly. "You know that Russia supports your government in the fight against the Goa'uld and the Ori."

Same old Russian politics. Hank shook his head. He hated politics.

"I'm glad we have an understanding, then," Hank said despite his misgivings.

"And I thank you for this information. I will take this to my superiors, and we shall proceed from there." Hank heard a soft chuckling. "It is always a pleasure, General."

Hank nodded to himself. He just had one last thing to say. "Yes it is. But I want to be straight with you, Colonel. I would tread carefully with the Chinese."

This time Chekov did not laugh. "And I would warn you of the same."

* * *

Janet watched the clock, noting the seconds as they ticked by. She took a deep breath. It was time. 

Careful not to make a sound, Janet joined Doctor Lam by General Hammond's semi-conscious form. Together, they prepared the equipment that would send a sizable electric shock through Hammond's body.

Timing and the level of voltage were crucial. If they administered too great a shock, they could kill him. If they didn't shock him enough, all their work would be in vain, leaving them with few options on how to get the real Hammond back. They couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

"Are you ready?" Janet asked Lam.

"It's now or never," she replied. "Go."

Janet attached the electrodes to Hammond and stood back. Lam took the cue, stepping forward and switching on the current.

Hammond seized and twitched.

Janet bit back the pain, torn as she watched his body jerk and lash out against the white bed sheets. It stung to watch her former commanding officer convulsing from what they were doing to him. She knew it had to be done. She knew it was the only way to save him. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

She kept her eye on his vitals, as did Lam. They started to fluctuate – dip, rise, and even out. If Hammond could hold on just a little longer…

"Now!" Lam shouted.

Doctor Lam shut down the machine while Janet rushed to his side. She kept the defibrillator with her, just in case, as she proceeded to check his pulse and breathing. She breathed out, releasing some of the tension that had been bottled up inside.

He was stable.

One by one, Janet removed the electrodes from his body, praying silently that the shock had worked. She didn't know if she could handle the idea that he could be lost forever.

Again, her thoughts turned to SG-1. The conflict raged on.

"He's coming out of it," Lam told her, bringing Janet back to focus on Hammond.

He coughed and smiled between pinkened cheeks. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he managed to say to Janet.

Janet gazed down at him, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "It's good to have you back, sir," she said, stroking his thumb. "We had thought we'd lost you."

He continued to smile, the warmth and confidence in his eyes nearly overwhelming her. Yet, despite the pride and relief she felt, Janet knew that they had to remain guarded. Only after a series of tests had been run, could they be confident that Hammond was back.

Even so, Janet couldn't help but feel optimistic. And judging by the small but genuine smile on Lam's face, Janet knew she felt the same.

* * *

Hank remained silent, not for a lack of words and not for a lack of comprehension. He wanted the President to understand exactly how he felt. 

"We both know it's the right thing to do," Hayes said over the phone.

Hank didn't think so. It wasn't that he was new to secrecy and underhanded dealings. Hank had done a lot of things he wasn't proud of during the course of his life. Sometimes things needed to get done whether he liked them or not. But this time, he found himself hesitating.

No, he didn't like this idea one bit.

"This is going to come back to haunt us," Hank said.

"That may be the case, but it's in our country's best interests right now."

Hank sighed. This much he knew. But he didn't have to like it. "I understand," he said at last.

"I know you do," Hayes said. "Keep me informed on what's happening on all fronts."

"Yes, Mister President." Hank hung up the phone.

It didn't matter what he thought. Not now. Hayes had already contacted the Chinese president. The arrangement had been made.

While Hank knew that neither country could afford a public backlash over compromised individuals, treason, and shady deals between political officials and multinational corporations, the idea of brushing the United States-Chinese breach of security under the rug made him uneasy. Granted, the US would be the one overseeing the dispersal of the nishta "cure" to suspected Chinese officials, likely with the Russians as a buffer. But part of this deal ordered the protection of both American and Chinese assets. While that protected some American networking, it also protected Chinese networks, whether they were legit or not.

And now the Chinese had something useful to use against the United States – blackmail material. Hank knew the Chinese had something up their sleeve. He didn't like the idea of giving them that extra-added edge.

Not to mention that Ba'al was still out there. The Goa'uld or Goa'uld clone still had an invisible hold in what could be hundreds of corporations by now, with possible access to nishta and whatever Trust symbiotes remained. Even if he had failed this round, in a sense, he still had won.

Inoculating top-level officials in all the IOA represented nations while they continued to investigate Ba'al's business channels was not good enough. He would find a new scheme, a new way of trying to rebuild his empire whether on Earth or beyond.

At least he had faith in Jack and SG-1 to come through for them in regard to the Ori. And Jack was sly enough to work with the IOA. Maybe he could win them over and allow the SGC a slight reprieve as the Chinese licked their wounds.

If he ever came back.

* * *

Daniel heard Jack swear. The Prior stood in the hallway, blocking their exit. Though the corridors were wide and they could easily move around him, Daniel noticed that his staff was raised and ready. 

This was the last thing they needed right now.

"Move it, pal," Jack said. "We've got places to go, so if you don't mind…"

"Hallowed are the Ori," the Prior droned. He held up the book of Origin with his other hand, displaying it for all to see. "They will oversee your destruction."

"Ah, don't think so," Mitchell said. "Nice try, though."

The Prior did not flinch. Daniel watched him carefully, frowning, trying to place his face. Daniel knew he had seen him before. He just couldn't remember where or when.

"We knew you would come to the place of fruition and seek to destroy it with your evilness," the Prior said, continuing. "The Hilksha have returned to plant their wicked ways amongst the good people."

"The Hilksha?" Sam asked. "You think we're the Hilksha?"

Hilksha…the evil gods of Tuplo's people. Daniel had spent days, so long ago, talking to the people of the Land of Light about their beliefs, their gods, and their culture. Most people hadn't been helpful, but some people had been. He stared at the Prior.

"I know this man." Daniel said suddenly. "It's Tipoli."

"Tip-who?" Jack asked, looking annoyed.

Daniel softened his gaze, watching the Prior with pity. It should have never come to this. It should have never happened. "He's Milosha's cousin," Daniel said quietly.

"Dammit," Jack said. "Not another one."

"Tipoli, please listen to us," Daniel said. He tried to plead with the man and appeal to his rational side. "You've always been a reasonable person. You know that the Goa'uld were false gods. You know that the Ori are the same."

"I know that the Ori have come to enlighten us and that the unbelievers will stop at nothing to destroy them." His cloudy eyes darkened. "You know of the power of the wicked ones, the ones that poison the minds of the unbelievers! It is you who have tasted their ways and turned your back to their blasphemy! Embrace the Ori, your saviors!"

Daniel frowned. He wasn't sure how Tipoli had found out about his time as an Ascended being, but it made him nervous.

"The Ori are not saviors," Daniel said. He was running out of ideas on how to reason with him.

Tipoli did not listen. "The wicked shall fall into the cold darkness from whence they came!"

The Prior raised his staff higher, the crystal embedded into the top beginning to glow. Collectively, they took a step back and fired, but their attempt to stop him was ineffectual. The bullets halted in mid-air and fell to the floor.

His gaze turned to Daniel. "The Ori have spoken."

Before Daniel had a chance to digest his words, the Prior thrust the staff, this time his power aimed at Sam. She gasped, struggling, as the Prior raised her off the ground, suspending her high above them. Daniel watched, horrified, as Sam clawed at her throat. Her P-90 fell to the ground.

"No! Stop!" Daniel cried. "She hasn't done anything to you!"

"Dammit, Tip, put her down!" Jack yelled. He raised his weapon. "I said now!"

The Prior did nothing. Sam started to turn blue.

Daniel knew what a Prior could do. He remembered Fannis. He couldn't lose Sam.

Daniel pushed past the block in his mind, overcoming the burning, and reached deeper. He could feel the light bubbling to the surface along with all the power that came with it. He turned his dark gaze onto Tipoli.

"Stop," he said, his voice cool.

He heard Jack, Teal'c, and Mitchell fire again. But it was all so distant. Daniel narrowed his eyes and took a step closer.

"Daniel," he heard a voice call to him. Skaara, Kasuf, Shifu…he couldn't tell. Their voices seemed to blend into each other, as one, whispering from somewhere above him and all around him. "No, do not tap into the fire. You must not continue to touch it. It is the tainted light."

Daniel grunted and held onto the power, as he had done before, and pushed at the Prior. Tipoli stumbled, nearly falling. It was the chance they needed.

Sam fell to the ground. Immediately, Mitchell went to her motionless body while Jack and Teal'c started to fire another round.

It was as if the Prior had anticipated the move. He rose to his feet, staff in hand, the bullets once again missing him. He smiled at Daniel.

Daniel stared back, suddenly realizing what was happening. He gasped. He'd been wrong.

"The Ori shall come and reclaim the knowledge!" Tipoli cried, raising his staff. "The wicked shall be vanquished!"

The staff burst with a bright white light and the room shook. Daniel felt the rush as the energy from the Prior's staff smacked him and then passed through his body. He stiffened, gritting his teeth, struggling against the flood as it infiltrated his mind. The tearing, the ripping – the Prior dove into his mind and ravaged it.

Daniel fought back, but knew he was losing this battle. He retreated, holding onto the little speck of clarity and pure light that had remained hidden all this time.

He fell to his knees. He felt himself slipping.

* * *

Jack lost his balance from the impact, struggled to prevent himself from falling over and keep his weapon trained on the target. He glanced over to Carter and Mitchell, just for a second, to check on her status. She coughed and started to move. Satisfied, Jack turned back to the Prior. He fired. 

The damn bullets just bounced off the guy like nothing ever happened. Again. No one could get a clear shot.

That was it. He didn't care. They needed Daniel's powers. "Daniel! Take him!"

When Daniel didn't answer, Jack repositioned himself for a better view. Daniel was on his knees, his body shaking, and was clutching his head, his eyes wide and unfocused. He seemed oblivious to everything going on around him.

"He wields some power over Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c shouted.

That was obvious. The only problem was that Jack didn't know how to stop it.

"Daniel!" he yelled. No response. He faced the Prior. "Listen, you son of a bitch. If you want to spend your life worshipping some self-absorbed power hungry freaks, fine. Don't drag anyone else down with you."

The Prior ignored him, continuing whatever he was doing to Daniel.

"We saved your asses!" he shouted, even though he knew talk wasn't going to work.

"The knowledge shall return to us!" Tipoli exclaimed.

That's when it clicked for Jack. All of this – it had nothing to do with Fraiser or cementing a hold in this galaxy. This was all part of a ploy to get what they wanted. To get what they wanted from Daniel. The Priors were trying to open Daniel's mind and find whatever tidbits might be left over from his time as a glowing jellyfish.

Dammit. Jack wished those devices the SGC had experimented with during the time of the plague still worked. Anything to stop this guy.

He did a quick survey of the corridor, looking for something they could use against the Prior. Walls, doors, ceiling…there had to be something. His gaze stopped at some overhead pipes that ran through the corridor.

"Aim for the pipeline," Jack said, changing his strategy.

Carter and Mitchell stood, joining him and Teal'c. The four of them lifted their P-90's and shot round after round at the ceiling. Just when Jack was sure the pipes weren't going to budge, he heard a groaning. They shook and broke, falling hard as they crashed to the floor. They nicked the top of the staff, snapping it in two, and then crushed the Prior, pinning him to the floor. The act was enough to startle the Prior into releasing Daniel. And a startled Prior meant an easier target.

Jack didn't even hesitate as he pumped Tipoli full of bullets. The man jerked under the weight of the pipes, dead.

Jack clapped Carter on the shoulder, squeezing her gently to acknowledge her and make sure she was okay before he jogged over to Daniel. He was still on his knees, his body shaking involuntarily as he stared off into the distance.

Jack gave him a light shake. "Daniel?"

Daniel coughed and wiped the sweat from his face. "Okay. I'm all right." He coughed again, searching the corridor. "Sam?" Daniel asked.

"I'm okay," she said, rubbing her throat.

Jack and Teal'c helped Daniel to his feet. Daniel, a little unsteady at first, staggered but quickly shook off the lingering effects of his attack. He moved to stand by Tipoli, bowing his head with grief.

Unfortunately, they didn't have time for that right now. Jack tapped Daniel on the shoulder. "Let's go."

Daniel walked on ahead, weaving in and out of the fallen pipes, followed by Mitchell and Carter. Jack motioned for Teal'c to go. They were running out of time. Jack started after them, glancing down to take one last look at the Prior as he passed by his limp body.

He was sorry he had.

The Prior stirred, tossing some of the debris aside, his pale face blazing with anger. Before Jack had time to react, the Prior – still lying prone – grabbed the top half of his broken staff and rammed it against Jack's right leg. Jack howled, feeling the inhuman force contact with his ankle and shatter the bones. He stumbled backward, crashing to the floor, his leg searing with pain. Jack held onto his ankle, cursing the Prior as he finally took his last breath.

"Dammit, that son of a bitch!"

Carter came rushing to his side, touching his ankle to examine it. He slapped her hands away. "Get to the ring room."

"Not without you, sir." She shook her head. Jack could see the anxiety entering her face. "Damn, it's broken."

"Ya think?" He hit his fist on the floor.

"Teal'c, Mitchell, Daniel…I need some help!" Carter yelled.

Daniel, Mitchell, and Teal'c backtracked to Jack's position. Daniel had most of his color back, but when he looked down at the broken ankle, Jack saw him go green again.

"This is going to slow us down," Daniel mumbled, stating the obvious.

"So, go," Jack said. He hissed between clenched teeth as the pain shot through his ankle and up his leg.

Teal'c glared at him. "That is not an option."

"I'll take point," Mitchell said. "In case there are more of them." He glanced down at his watch. "We're gonna have to hoof it."

Carter nodded, quickly wrapping up Jack's ankle with the small kit she had on her. When she was finished, she let go and jogged over to assist Mitchell. Meanwhile, Daniel and Teal'c took either side of Jack and hoisted him to his feet. He groaned, biting back the pain, and tried to get a decent grip on them. Finally, Jack felt secure and leaned into Teal'c. The three of them started to move down the hallway.

This wasn't going to work. There was no way they were going to make it across the station in less than twenty minutes. Not like this.

"Come on, Jack," Daniel said. "You know we're not leaving you behind. You're going to have to push yourself."

"Indeed."

So, Jack pushed himself. The five of them were off, resting on a hope and a prayer they would make it. It was a race against time.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Sam and Mitchell bolted down the hallway, charging toward the ring room. Teal'c and Daniel, supporting an injured Jack, trailed behind them. As Daniel helped to stabilize Jack, he flicked his wrist and glanced down at his watch, alarmed that they only had two minutes left.

God, two minutes. There was no way they could make it to the ring room in time.

"We're not going to make it!" Sam shouted back to them.

"Keep running!" Jack yelled. He grunted and dug his hand into Daniel's shoulders as he hobbled along. "Don't worry about us. Just go!"

"We won't leave you!" she cried.

"Yeah, what about all the teamwork and never leaving a man behind stuff?" Mitchell said as he ran.

"Screw it. Doesn't apply to me." Jack hissed with pain as Daniel knocked into him. "Watch it, Daniel."

Daniel ignored Jack's whiny protests and kept dragging him forward. Teal'c did the same, pushing and pushing and pushing.

The ring room loomed ahead.

One minute.

"Go!" Daniel cried. "Get it working!"

Sam sprinted to the ring room, Mitchell hot on her heels. From his vantage point, Daniel could see Sam working furiously to get the rings to work so they could get off the station in time.

Thirty seconds.

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged a quick, furtive look and knew what they had to do. Without a second thought, they heaved Jack up, despite his shouts, curses and protests, and made a mad dash toward the ring room. Despite all the times he'd worked out, Daniel felt the strain of trying to run and carry Jack at the same time. His lungs burned. His legs burned. Everything was burning.

Twenty seconds.

"It's not working!" Sam shoved the crystals out of their side compartment, flipping through each and every one as quickly and efficiently as she could.

"What the hell is the problem!" Mitchell yelled.

"Oh my God. They sabotaged the crystals," Sam said, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "It's over."

Jack and Teal'c reached the ring room just in time to hear her devastating words. Daniel let go of Jack, shocked as he stared at the destroyed control panel. Everything went silent. He felt cold and dead, but warm and surprisingly light. There was nothing left to do. They had no ship. They had no allies waiting to help them.

And this time, no _Odyssey_ could beam them out.

This was it.

Ten seconds.

"Get out, Daniel!" Jack yelled, suddenly, giving him a shove. "You can still ascend. Get your glowy ass out of here!"

The others nodded, pleading with him to leave. But he didn't hear them. Swallowing hard, Daniel stepped back, moving away from them as he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

Five seconds.

He let go. Let go of all the pain and the anger, the sadness and the fear. He released the blockage in his mind and rushed past the burning. He dove deeper and held onto that little speck of purity he'd discovered earlier.

He fed it and let it blossom.

The burning stopped.

It stopped.

Everything stopped.

And he let it free.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Jack covered his ears as the last few seconds ticked away and the explosion ripped through the space station, destroying them.

Which didn't happen.

Jack opened his eyes and looked around. He was on the space station. So were Carter, Teal'c, and Mitchell. All of them were huddled in a circle in the ring room – as if that would do any good – blinking with surprise when nothing happened.

"Am I in hell?" Jack asked them. He looked around again, confused. He'd seen a show once where this guy went to hell and had to relive the same horrible day over and over. Jack hoped this wasn't it. He'd already done that and he would rather be _dead _dead than to have to go through that again.

"Not unless we're with you, and I'm not planning on going to hell," Mitchell said. He frowned. "What happened?"

"The C-4 didn't work," Carter said. She groaned and closed her eyes, hitting her thighs in defeat. "After all of that, it didn't work."

"All of it?" Jack thought even that beat all odds. He gave the place another quick scan, knowing full well he'd heard the explosion and felt the station shudder. "I _heard_ it, Carter.

"What if the Prior used his funky powers to make it stop?" Mitchell asked. "Because that sure as hell would be part of their MO."

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c whispered.

"Yeah." Jack considered that possibility. He fully believed that when Daniel was off in Ascended land last time, he'd stopped Anubis. Why not again? Though stopping the explosion would defeat the whole point of the mission. Jack shifted his jaw. "I told him to get out of here. For once, he listened."

"No," Teal'c said, extending his arm and pointing to the ring room entrance. "There."

Jack frowned and turned his body, wincing from the pain in his ankle. But what he saw made him start to wonder if he'd lost it.

Daniel wasn't glowy. Daniel wasn't anything. He was just standing there, in the middle of the entryway, stiff as a board and staring off into lala land.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

No reply. That was starting to creep Jack out just a bit.

"Dammit," Jack grabbed onto Teal'c and pulled himself to his feet. "What the hell is he doing?"

"Daniel?" Carter asked hesitantly. She started toward him, her pace slow and careful.

"Prior got him?" Mitchell asked.

"I don't know. Daniel?" Sam asked again. By the time she reached the entryway, Jack was nudging Teal'c to help move so he could join her.

"Oh my God," she breathed.

When Jack reached her, he was speechless.

It was gone. More than half the space station was gone. Chunks and parts were floating in dead space, wandering aimlessly as they stood and watched, completely aghast. Only the part of the space station where they were standing along with the long arm of corridors and rooms nearby had survived.

"How come we're breathing?" Mitchell asked.

Carter shook her head and reached out to touch Daniel. He didn't even flinch. That's when her gaze fell downward.

"Sir."

He saw it. Fissures, cracks and breaks – they all grinded together as they strained, pushing to splinter and break free. He caught them as they ran up the sides of the room, onto the ceiling and out the doors.

"I don't believe it," she said. "He's holding what's left of the space station together."

Jack stared at him. "How the hell can he do that?"

Nevermind. Jack decided he didn't want to know. He wasn't about to look this gift horse in the mouth.

"Whatever happened to him," Carter said, guessing. "It has to do with his evolving mind." She moved closer to him. "Daniel?" she asked. "Daniel…how are you –?"

"Carter!" When she turned to face him, Jack held up a finger, urging her to stop. "Don't…break his concentration."

She nodded, slowly taking a step away from him. Daniel just continued to stand there, motionless, gazing off into nothing.

Jack didn't want to even think on what this could be doing to Daniel's body. But he knew they had to use this opportunity while they still had it. "We've got a second chance," he said. "Plan?"

Of course, no one had anything to say. They were trapped on one fourth of a space station that was barely holding it together. No means of escape. No way to fix the rings. Just stuck with time running out.

Then, the last person he expected to say anything laid a doozey on him.

"Bra'tac," Daniel muttered between clenched teeth. "Hangar."

Teal'c's eyes widened. "We must go to the hangar immediately."

Jack wasn't going to argue. If Daniel said Bra'tac was waiting in the hangar for them, then Bra'tac was waiting in the hangar for them. That was it. Jack nodded for Carter to take point. Mitchell switched off with Teal'c and helped support him as he hobbled after Carter, while Teal'c carefully guided Daniel's rigid body down the narrow stretch left of the space station.

Jack had to say this had to be the most frightening and exhilarating thing he'd ever done. There was nothing but an invisible force field keeping them from floating like dead debris through cold space. As they walked along just a long thin stretch of metal, Jack could feel the strain on the station as it groaned and creaked, fighting to separate and rip apart, while Daniel fought to keep it together. Trapped between a not so solid metal wall and no wall at all…that was new for Jack. He grunted, holding Mitchell tighter. He hoped this would be the last time.

The hangar was just ahead. They could do this.

The groaning started.

Dammit.

"It's wild, isn't it?" Mitchell said, wearing a grin that would make the Cheshire Cat jealous.

Jack scowled at him. If Carter was too negative, this guy was too positive.

He heard more groaning.

Jack hobbled a little faster, praying to whoever would hear him to keep this hunk of junk together just a little bit longer. Almost there.

Jack watched as a small chunk of the station broke off and floated away.

Crap.

"How's he doing?" Jack asked, calling to Teal'c over his shoulder.

"He is under tremendous strain, O'Neill. We must depart quickly."

They pushed onward, finally reaching the docking bay.

The small tel'tak vessel bolted forward, entering the crooked hangar. Jack could see Rak'nor at the controls, Bra'tac by his side. The two men looked absolutely stunned to see them alive and in one piece.

"Run!" Jack said.

Carter took off, sprinting toward the tel'tak vessel. The platform lowered and she climbed inside, waiting by the edge, encouraging the rest of them to hurry. Bra'tac waited for them, his arm extended. Mitchell and Jack finally made it; Teal'c and Daniel slowly brought up the rear.

He could hear the station moaning again, the metal parts screeching and grinding against each other. He grabbed Mitchell's shoulder for support and leaned out of the ship, motioned with his hand for Teal'c and Daniel to hurry.

"How have you accomplished this?" Bra'atc said in wonder.

"Long story." Jack looked back. "Let's go, Teal'c!"

Teal'c and Daniel stepped onto the platform. Teal'c guided him up the ramp and into Sam's grasp. Jack glanced back to Teal'c just as Mitchell started to pull him into a seated position while Bra'tac rushed back to the controls. Before Teal'c was completely inside the ship, he shouted for them to go.

Rak'nor wasted no time. He steered the tel'tak vessel away from the station, pushing the ship well past its limits to speed away from the impending explosion. They were barely away when Jack felt the burst ripple through space.

Everyone grabbed onto something firm as the tel'tak vessel careened out of control from the shockwave. He felt the ship moaning from the strain, causing Jack to wonder if maybe they weren't as safe as he'd thought. But Rak'nor finally brought it under control and steadied the cargo ship into a nice, smooth ride.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, along with everyone else. He rubbed his face and ignored the throbbing in his ankle. At least they'd made it.

Bra'tac reemerged, eyeing everyone with an enormous swelling of pride. "You would not have made it without the help of the Jaffa, hmm?" he joked, still smiling.

"Master Bra'tac!" Teal'c shouted, a huge grin on his face.

"Teal'c! It is good to see you safe."

"I do not understand," Teal'c said.

"The Council had a change of heart. Guilt overcame Roa'tac as his heart warmed from Colonel Mitchell's words. When I told him of our situation, he agreed to speak with the Council again." Bra'tac clapped his hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "We came personally to assist you."

"Hot damn. Talk about timing," Mitchell said.

"Thanks, Bra'tac," Jack said. He winced and held his ankle. "You did good." The man still hadn't lost his touch after one hundred and thirty-something odd years.

As the adrenaline started to wane and his head began to clear, Jack's thoughts turned to Daniel. He searched the ship for Daniel, and when he finally found him, Jack realized he was slumped on the floor.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, sliding across the floor to meet him. He patted his shoulder. "Hey?"

Daniel breathed out and coughed, blood spurting from his nose. Teal'c came to stand by them and offered Daniel a cloth. Daniel nodded, accepting it, and pressed it to his nose.

"How did you keep the station connected?" Carter asked. She and Mitchell joined the rest of them.

"I used it. All of it." He coughed again. "It's gone now."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "You no longer possess your abilities."

Daniel shook his head. "No. No, I wasn't meant to have them to begin with. Some people aren't meant for power like that. Not when the end would have to justify the means," he said quietly, giving Teal'c a pointed look.

Jack watched the two of them, keeping track of the intensity in their gazes. Then, he saw Teal'c relax, a smile finally touching his lips and reaching all the way to his eyes. He bowed to Daniel and took a seat on the other side of him.

_Perfect_, Jack thought. He grinned, urging Carter and Mitchell to take a seat beside them before he slung his arm around Daniel's shoulder. "All right!" he exclaimed. "See? Piece of cake."

"I'm so glad you're amused," Daniel said with mock sarcasm. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep."

With that, he passed out.

Jack felt he earned it. In fact, they all did.

He leaned back and lifted his broken ankle, biting back the pain he felt. He'd been through worse. Jack closed his eyes and let his mind drift. Things had turned out all right after all. Not a bad day.

Not a bad day at all.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"So how did it go?" Hank asked.

"As well as you can expect with the IOA," Jack said, rolling his eyes. He grunted as he propelled himself forward on his crutches.

Hank nodded and slowed his pace so that Jack could keep up with him. They had a few loose ends to tie up at the infirmary, and then maybe Hank could say goodnight to all the crazy happenings over the past few days. He slowed again for Jack and took out his pass.

"What was the verdict?" Hank asked.

"They weren't too happy with the fact I wasn't there in person, but the teleconference had to do." Jack grunted and leaned his weight onto one side, supporting himself with the crutches as they waited for the elevator. "I think I may have gotten a sympathy vote with my cast."

Hank chuckled. "I would say the Chinese are going to have their hands full trying to sort out their own problems to bother us for a while."

The elevator opened and they stepped inside. "Not so sure about that," Jack admitted. "Whatever connection Ba'al made only went so far. And I don't care what kind of impression Daniel made with that Shen woman. I don't think the Chinese are going to give up that easily. I'd keep my eyes open."

Hank sighed. "All too true." The latest Ori threat might have been solved, but the Doomsday chatter continued. Ba'al was still on the loose and they could lose their allies at any time. Somehow Hank felt this was just the start. At least President Hayes had given them a commendation for all their hard work on the Ori and nishta threats, and Joseph Owens was being transported to Washington for questioning by the President himself. And now they had the Jaffa on their side. Still, Hank couldn't help but feel like their troubles were just beginning. But despite his feelings, he turned to Jack and grinned. "I'm up for the challenge."

* * *

Sam knocked on the recovery room door, hesitating as she peeked inside. Malcolm Barrett rested on a hospital bed, still hooked up to various monitoring devices, but he looked peaceful, if not a little bored. His eyes were open and he was breathing. To Sam, that was all that mattered. 

"Hi," she said, holding the bouquet she'd bought close to her chest.

"Flowers. Wow," he said, sitting up but wincing slightly. "Either I missed something fantastic or I was a goner there for a while."

She chuckled and placed the vase on the stand next to his bed. "You almost didn't make it," she said, pulling a chair up to his side. "We were worried."

"We or…you?"

Sam shook her head, but the smile stayed alight on her face. "Don't push your luck, buster."

He laughed at her, which made Sam confident that he was on the mend. "I guess I won't be pushing much of anything for a while."

Sam held back a smile. "I just wanted to let you know that based on your work, General O'Neill's clone and Jonas Quinn were able uncover a series of meetings between General Hammond and the Chinese. We wouldn't have been able to figure it out without you."

Barrett nodded, all serious again. "How is General Hammond?"

"I'll be fine," she heard Hammond say. Sam looked up to see the general and O'Neill's clone standing in the doorway. "Nothing but a little hurt pride."

Sam stood as they entered, but Hammond just waved her away with his free arm. "At ease, Colonel," he said as she sat back down. "I'm retired now."

"You retire as well as I do, sir," the clone joked. "Say…how's the arm?"

Hammond looked over to the sling that held his arm and shoulder in place. "It's not a big deal. It was a clean shot. I should heal just fine." His face fell as he studied Barrett's bandages. "I'm sorry, son. I don't remember much of what happened, but I—"

"Not to worry, General. I assume that Fraiser and Lam found a suitable cure," Barrett said.

"That they did," Hammond said. "I owe them my life," he said quietly.

Sam remained silent, allowing General Hammond a moment to gather himself. He was still a little shaken over the whole thing, especially with his granddaughters on base. On some level, Sam knew how he felt. It had taken months for Sam to get over with how she'd treated Cassie when Jolinar had possessed her. She could understand how anxious he might feel knowing he'd been compromised and yet was still so close to those he loved.

"Well, we should get going," Hammond said at last as they caught Major Davis waiting by the door. "I just wanted to offer my sincerest apologies in person."

"It's not a problem, General," Barrett said. "Really, I understand."

Hammond nodded and started for the door. Sam watched as Barrett exchanged a thank you with O'Neill's clone. The two left the room, leaving Sam and Barrett alone once again.

Barrett looked down at his sheets, smoothing out some of the wrinkles before he winced and shifted his position in order to face her. "So, does this mean we're still on for dinner?" Barrett asked.

She grinned. "I don't recall ever agreeing to dinner," she said, touching her hair. "But, I think I can make that sacrifice once you're well enough to eat real food in a real restaurant."

His eyes lit up.

"Just as friends," she added quickly.

Barrett sighed, but the mirth remained in his eyes. "I can handle that."

* * *

When Jack entered the infirmary, he wasn't surprised to find Daniel dressing to leave. "Doc give you the all clear?" 

Daniel passed him a small smile and nodded slowly, tugging his BDU jacket over his shoulders. "Doctor Lam says I'm back to normal. Or at least getting there."

"No more…" He raised his hand and twirled his finger in a circle.

"No more special powers, if that's what you mean."

Jack started to smile, but it never reached his lips. He wasn't exactly great at this sort of thing.

"Are you heading back to Washington soon?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, in a couple of days."

"Plane?"

"No. Air Thor."

"Oh." Daniel nodded. "Beats coach."

"Oh, yeah."

That damned silence returned again, leaving Jack feeling awkward. Jack thought it always had been easier when they were on the field. Daniel would do something he didn't agree with and Jack would make a comment. Daniel would snap back. Jack would insult him. Everyone was happy that way.

But since his first promotion and then his second promotion, it was harder. Jack hated small talk. So did Daniel. And personal stuff? Jack didn't do personal.

Though, when the awkward silences started to creep in, Daniel inevitably started talking about feelings and that was always the last place Jack wanted to go.

"I know why you did it," Daniel said finally. "I know why you left."

Son of a bitch…there he went. "Really? Enlighten me then, since you seem to know it all."

"It hurt too much."

"Hurt?" Jack blew him off with the shake of his head. "Come on, Daniel. You've got to do better than that."

Daniel's face darkened. "No, I'm right."

"You seem to think you're right about everything," Jack said.

"No, I mean it. I'm right this time. You couldn't stand to watch us go through the Stargate without you anymore. You couldn't stand not knowing. So you left."

"You and Carter need to stop trying to play shrink," Jack said with a forced laugh. "The two of you are no MacKenzie."

"But I'm right," he said again. "You couldn't stand to sit here and watch us risk our lives every day. And when we moved onto other assignments, that was the perfect opportunity to leave it all behind. You could still watch us – you run the Atlantis program and you gave your approval on some projects Sam was working on at Area 51, plus you put someone in charge that you trusted at the SGC to watch Teal'c."

"Daniel…"

"No, don't say anything. You don't have to. I understand," he said with a smile. "We all do." His grin widened. "It'll be our secret."

Seemed like everyone was keeping secrets these days, Jack mused as he watched Daniel bend over to tie his laces. Jack looked away, eyeing the room, his gaze falling to a small stress ball. Noting that Daniel was still clueless to what Jack was doing, he grabbed the stress ball and whipped it at Daniel's head.

He caught it instantly without even turning around. When Daniel realized what he'd done, he stood up straight and blinked at Jack in shock.

"Back to normal, eh?" Jack said, feeling that uncomfortable sensation starting to return.

Daniel scowled, tossing the ball onto the gurney. "It's there, Jack. Locked up inside me somewhere. All my memories and other things that I can't even imagine." Jack stayed silent, not knowing what to say. "But it's not meant for me," Daniel continued. "Not now. Not this way. Maybe in another lifetime," he said with a smile.

Jack raised his eyebrows, realizing he saw honesty and contentment in Daniel's eyes. Suddenly, everything felt all right. "It'll be our secret," he said with a grin.

* * *

Janet held onto her daughter, rocking her in her arms. She just wanted to stay in this moment. She never wanted anything to change even though she knew change was inevitable. 

"Mom, I'm so proud of you," Cassie said. "You helped save General Hammond even though you probably aren't very happy right now."

She pulled Cassie back and blinked at her. "Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"The Ori."

Janet sighed. She still felt a strong connection to the Ori. They had saved her life. The Priors and their followers had cared for her. But she knew that she was loved here, and she knew the atrocities that could be committed in the name of the Ori. She supposed it wasn't much unlike their own history.

"Honey, I'm going to be having some sessions with an SGC therapist to sort through some of my issues," she said softly.

"I know," Cassie said with a sigh. "It doesn't mean you're weak or anything, you know. I think _everyone_ at the SGC has had to go through therapy at some point."

Janet chuckled. "I'm sure that's true."

Sam and Teal'c took the opportunity to enter the VIP room at that time, followed by Daniel and then O'Neill on crutches. Cassie sat back and welcomed them inside, urging them to come closer.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked.

"Good. It felt good to be working in the infirmary again," Janet said. "I'd almost forgotten how much I missed it."

"It's always open in the event you want to come back," Daniel said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

She smiled. "We'll see what my therapist says."

Daniel nodded and exchanged a brief furtive look with Cassie. Janet didn't call them on it, nor did she feel the need to say anything now. She knew the two of them were hiding something – something important – and when the time was right then they would discuss what it was. But for now, she was content to know that her friends loved and cared for her and that her daughter was by her side.

"Well, we just wanted to come by and say hi," O'Neill said. "We'll leave you two to get reacquainted."

Cassie pulled Janet into a hug and squeezed her tight. "Thanks," Cassie said.

"If you require any assistance, we will be happy to serve you," Teal'c said with a bow.

"Why thank you, Teal'c," Janet said, genuinely touched. She watched with fondness and sadness as the old SG-1 left the room. Though she wasn't surprised when she saw Daniel linger behind.

He moved toward them, almost hesitant and maybe a little shy, shoving his hands in his pockets as he peered over the rims of his glasses. She knew, as well as he, that they had a lot of unfinished business to discuss. But she also knew that this was not the time or place for it.

"I'm glad that you're better," Janet said.

Daniel looked over to Cassie before refocusing on Janet. "Whatever happened with the Ori and the Ancients is behind me."

Janet forced a small smile. She was still foggy on all the details of what happened to Daniel, but the entire staff had assured her that he was okay. Cassie had reassured her that whatever happened had happened and Daniel was himself. Yet, despite even her own daughter's reassurance, she couldn't help but see the crazed man that had pulled a gun on a child.

She knew that she shouldn't dwell on it. Things happen at the SGC. In her lifetime, she had done things that she wasn't proud of, and she knew that the members of SG-1 tackled far greater problems on a daily basis. She also knew that over the past few days, she hadn't been at her best.

But the Ori, Daniel, Cassie, and everything that had happened – she just wasn't ready to let go. Not yet.

Janet could see the guilt and the regret in Daniel's eyes. There was an apology resting on his lips, ready to escape. She could see that he wanted to try to make things better somehow.

She shook her head. "We've both done things we regret. The past few days have been hard for all of us. We just have to do our best to tackle them and move on."

He gave a half nod and looked away. She didn't know what else she could say to him. She was still infuriated with him and the rest of her friends. She still held anger that she couldn't explain. But when he brought his gaze back to her, she saw the intensity and compassion in his eyes, making her believe that maybe there was hope.

"We don't have to face it alone," he said quietly.

She glanced at Cassie, watching as her daughter remained by her side, supportive and strong. She thought of Daniel, Sam, Teal'c and General O'Neill.

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Daniel said, moving toward the door. He paused, searching her, as if he were waiting for her to understand.

She understood. And when she saw the smile touch his lips, she knew he understood as well.

Janet brought her daughter close as she watched him leave.

It was different, and scary, but Janet knew that she'd be able to make it, realizing that she had the support of her daughter and her friends. In the end, she knew it would be her own journey though, as she tried to reconcile everything had happened to her and the conflicting ideas and sensations she felt. She was confident that when she reemerged, she would be ready to tackle anything. She might not be the same Janet that died in the line of duty three years ago, but she would be a Janet that could make her daughter proud.

* * *

They found themselves back in the Gateroom for another long farewell. Sam rubbed at the corners of her eyes. She was beginning to hate goodbyes. 

Jonas came down the line, just like he'd done three years ago, shaking everyone's hands and wishing them well. When he reached her, she drew him into a warm hug.

"I'll miss you, Jonas," she said. "Don't be a stranger."

He laughed into her embrace. "Is that an invitation?"

"You know you're always welcome here."

He withdrew and nodded, flashing her one of his winning smiles. "I'll be sure to take you up on that invitation."

Jonas made his way up the ramp, stopping to gather one last look at the Gateroom. Sam was certain she even saw tears in his eyes.

He cleared his throat and stood taller. "Hey, Cameron!" He smiled softly. "You're not so bad. Next time I come we'll have to have some of those grits."

"Mmmm-mmm. Just you wait! Back at you, man," Cameron said, waving goodbye.

Jonas waved back, pausing long enough to make eye contact with everyone before he disappeared through the event horizon. Then, he was gone.

Sam pushed back the sadness, knowing that people come and go from life, but it didn't make it any easier. These past few days had been hard, some of the hardest times she'd gone through, but in the end she had her friends, and she knew she had made a difference in the world. That was what was important.

"Come on," Hank said. "We have a mountain full of civilians who are just dying to get home."

* * *

Cameron stood with Landry, watching as the rest of the civilians packed up and were on their way. O'Neill was sitting and having a long chat with his ex; Sam was having a teary goodbye with her old fiancé and her brother's family; Jackson was comforting an old girlfriend and ex-Goa'uld, and Teal'c was working the crowd, bouncing from kid to kid and from lady to lady. Cameron was sure he saw Hammond in there somewhere, too, hugging his grandchildren. 

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Landry asked him.

"Sure is. Makes me want to call up my pop and give him a holler," Cameron said with a smile.

The two of them gazed on, watching as the crowds thinned and the people left. Cameron was surprised to find Jack's clone walking toward them, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

Landry extended his hand. "Well done, Jack," he said with a shake.

"Nice job yourself, Hank," Jack said with a smile. He turned to Cameron and shook his hand. "Nice working with you, and thanks for the save at the mall."

"No problem."

"Well, the others are free now and everyone else is about gone, so I'm going to say bye and get out of here," Jack said, though Cameron thought he sounded sad. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight uneasily. "You know, if there's ever a problem—"

"You'll be the first one we'll call, Jack," Landry said, giving him a tap on the back.

Jack wore a full-fledged grin. "Sweet. Well, adios!" He gave them a small wave before he walked down the hallway, meeting with General O'Neill and the rest of SG-1.

Cameron watched him go, taking note of their camaraderie and their joy. Someday he hoped that he could really prove himself to SG-1 and truly and finally become one of the team.

* * *

Daniel stood in the briefing room, gazing down at the Stargate as the night passed on. Silent and quiet, it sat there like any other artifact on display, seemingly harmless, while in reality it was a door to other worlds, other dreams, other lifetimes. 

So many worlds. So many years. They had all gained, and they had all lost. They had changed, and yet, somehow remained the same.

And through it all, the Stargate continued to call to them.

Maybe it called in different ways. It could be the thrill of discovery, the hope of a new find. It could be the ideal of truth and knowledge. It could be scientific data. It could be the promise of a new tomorrow. Or it could be just the beckon of a warm sand dune and a desert rose that no longer called his name.

"Daniel."

Daniel glanced back, watching Jack shuffle into the briefing room, along with Sam, Teal'c, Mitchell, and Landry. They passed by the briefing table, coming to join him at the window. He watched, though he didn't say a word, as Teal'c came to stand by his left and Sam came to stand by his right. Mitchell, Jack, and Landry came to their sides, settling into the silence. Daniel wasn't exactly sure how long they stayed there, together, staring down at the Stargate. But something felt right about it. Something felt whole.

He glanced over to his friends, his family, his life, and he smiled.

It felt like home.

THE END

* * *

A/N: I want to thank all of you for taking the time (and having the patience) to read this story. Your comments have been great. I hope that you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. 


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